Appreciating Alone Time

Being alone used to be one of my biggest fears, but through hard work and perseverance has become one of my greatest strengths.

Story by Charlotte Malone | Editor-in-Chief

wasting precious time. I hated having free time, because it made me feel like I wasn’t using my potential to the fullest. I would remind myself constantly that there were people out there doing way more than me, and comparison became a huge obstacle.

I eventually got to a point where I became super burnt out trying to always keep up with others around me, and then I discovered the power of alone time. This was especially prevalent when COVID-19 hit, since I had simply no other choice than to be alone. I wanted nothing more than to spend time with other people who didn’t happen to exist in my “quarantine bubble,”but this excruciating time of isolation ended up being a huge blessing.

I began to find ways to spend my time that didn’t require other people, as well as doing things I would have done with others by myself. I found myself reading more, hammocking and spending time with myself and my thoughts. I began to understand myself as a person more and learned about who I am when not surrounded by the distractions of the world.

As life returned back to normal, I found the pressure of always having to do something begin to creep back into my life. With this pressure came the anxiety of being alone. This time, however, I decided to not let my anxiety get the best of me. Instead, I chose to work on my fear.

I started by giving myself at least one night a week just for me. This night could be used to catch up on laundry, read, watch Nexflix aimlessly for hours, or honestly just sleep. I found that I was a lot happier with my newfound habit, and could see the results in my daily life. My social battery was able to last longer, and I began to enjoy the time that I spent with others more. After having that taken away from me for so long during the pandemic, it was a gift to be in the same space as others again. I wanted to live more in the moment than always stressing about the future. Now, I find myself going out in public, or showing up places alone, and being completely fine with it. Grocery shopping by myself has become one of my new favorite activities; it’s crazy to think that I used to be so afraid of something like that. I will go get breakfast or lunch by myself and while I used to have a bunch of anxiety about what people would think if they saw me sitting alone, I care a lot less now. I have learned the importance of prioritizing my own happiness instead of always looking to fit other people’s agendas. Alone time is my new favorite activity, and I am happy to be able to look back and recognize my own personal growth. B