Life Advice: Do Things Alone
Updated: May 27, 2020
Excerpt From: Ms. Career Girl
As humans, we’re innately social, which has many benefits; we get to enjoy dinners out, new experiences and going to the movies with our friends and family. However, our modern lives often have a way of making socializing difficult, especially when we reach our 30s and 40s. In fact, 44% of Americans said that their plans are often cancelled because friends are simply ‘too busy’, and as a result, one in five haven’t seen their best friend in the last year – with just over half meeting up fewer than five times. In being so sociable, we forget about the importance of doing things on our own. And in some cases, we forget how to be on our own at all altogether.
In fact, when plans are cancelled, more than a quarter of people chose to do work or chores rather than go on their own. So, when it comes to going solo, what are we so afraid of?
Well, 57% of the populations said they lacked the confidence to do things alone because they felt ‘judged’, and a quarter worry about what other people think of them.
However, Dr Sheri Jacobson, Founder of Harley Therapy, argues that “any such judgements are usually fleeting, and anxieties about what others think about our being alone can often be overinflated in our heads,”
It’s clear there is a disconnect between our thought process and reality. What’s more, Dr Sheri Jacobson also states that doing more on our own has a number of huge benefits to us as individuals: from being more engaged to not having to compromise.
This is true. I hear from so many solo travelers on our Flash Pack trips that time traveling on their own allows them to tune into themselves in a unique way that’s near impossible otherwise. A rare moment of selfishness when you don’t need to worry what others might be thinking, and you can completely dedicate yourself to something.
What’s more, the benefits it offers can be the key to discovering (or re-discover) your passion:
You can actually enjoy being in the moment:
Whether it’s watching the world go by from your favourite restaurant, or making the effort join an evening class and focus your energy on learning a new skill. Doing things on your own has a brilliant way of forcing you to be in the moment, which helps you appreciate it all the more – you can even try switching your phone on silent to ensure there are no distractions.