the art of being alone

As you get older, it feels like your circle gets smaller. The early busy years give way to longer blocks of time without seeing friends, as work and family fill time up. Your phone is more silent than not. It’s so easy for being alone to feel lonely. But it doesn’t have to be the case.

The art of being alone

leave your phone behind

Nothing dips your mood like scrolling and seeing other people’s best moments while living your normal day to day. Getting off your phone opens you up to all the ways you can enjoy being alone.

Take a course

This could be anything. It could be an online course in a tool that you want to grow in at work or it could be as fun as painting mugs for a solo activity. You could even commit to a six week pottery course. Do something that’s a little out of the norm, that challenges you in some way. Being alone is a great way to test your comfort zone and see where you need to grow. And maybe you’ll even stumble upon something you’re really good at.

Do something you already love

You don’t always need a companion to have fun. Maybe it’s thrifting or doing a puzzle. Or maybe you love hiking and being outdoors. Don’t let not having other people stop you from doing the thing that you love. If you’re like me, you love to meander around town with a fun drink in hand. In New York, I love wandering around Brooklyn Heights – the coziest brownstones and it’s near the water with great views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Related Post: Documenting Your Life ft. a book crawl in NYC

Take a breather

Sometimes when we have people around us all the time, they can act as a buffer blocking what we are trying to avoid. This time alone might be best used to really acknowledge feelings you have or things you’re struggling with that you have been tempted to ignore. Take a moment with a hot cup of tea to sit and breathe. Notice what’s coming up for you. Are you feeling anxious? Are you worried? Are you stressed? Do your best to sit with that feeling.

Book something you love

Part of the struggle with being alone is that we want to hide the fact that we’re alone by staying at home. (And the cold weather has not been helping) But go to museum or buy a concert ticket or a theater show. You don’t have to stop living your life when you’re alone. Stretch yourself a little by booking at activity you’d usually do with someone else. And having done all of these by myself multiple times, you can still have fun! You can still enjoy your experience!!!

Related Post: london in july 💌

Solo trip

This may be a bigger stretch but book a solo trip! If you’ve done a few activities alone, you might want to really stretch yourself and try going away on your own. It doesn’t have to be far. You could do a day trip. You could do a weekend. It all depends on your budget and level of comfort. But don’t let your comfort zone stop you from living and getting to see the cities and towns around you. Some of my favorite memories are my wandering around Belfast or London on my own.

Don’t hold yourself back from amazing memories. Let yourself be excited about life and the many things that await you when you choose to go forward in confidence.

Signing off,

Gigi