Prefer to be alone..?
The last twelve months of being in lockdown has taught us a great deal about ourselves and nudged many of us into reviewing what we value most in life. For many of us our priorities have changed. It's also been a time when we've had to confront different aspects of ourselves too. To discover how we feel about being alone, how much being with others makes a difference to our lives. Some of us have had to spend vast amounts of time alone at home, as in-person work, friends, family and lifestyle have all disappeared, effectively removed from our regular lives. Then there are those who have maintained constant contact with their partners, children and work, being required to be together, home educating whilst adapting to working and sourcing all their needs online, having everything delivered to their homes. For some, this has been a precious time, really getting to know each other well, experiencing the highs and lows of lockdown, enjoying talking, sharing moments, going for walks, cooking and eating together. They've established new routines and are none too keen to let the world back in.
Whilst others are eager to rejoin the world, desperate to circulate again, keeping some of the best bits from lockdown, yet not remaining so tightly cocooned together. On reflection, do you prefer to be alone or with others? - So much depends on what the situation at home is like. For those of us who comfortably live alone, we're likely to be pretty self-contained, already supporting our needs, availing ourselves of online links. It's possible that lockdown hasn't really impacted too much on our way of life. - But for those used to going out to work, networking, having a busy work and social life, taking regular holidays, or for those people consigned to home with restless children and partners, endless zoom meetings and no real options to go outdoors it's been a very different scenario. - Preferring to be alone or with others depends very much on what's entailed and what the alternative choices are. The thought of sharing with others may mean that you're under pressure to talk, have a conversation, walk at their pace, compromise. These things can seem too much, especially if you're in desperate need of a break and some me-time.
