spending time alone

VIA

Our twenties is a busy time for growing and learning about who you are as a human being. There's so much room and ambition for self-improvement, forming good habits, learning new life skills and checking things off the bucket list.

Learning how to spend time alone, (like good, quality, productive time alone) is one of those skills that can be super valuable for everyone. I insert the parentheses because there's an old wives tale having something to do with 12 year old me sprawled out on a leather couch all afternoon on a hot summer day consuming an entire bag of marshmallows out of sheer boredom...or something like that. There was probably a re-run or six of Dawson's Creek thrown in there as well. Moving on!

Alone time often can translate to a result of being left out of something, not having a busy enough schedule, being bored, or feeling lonely. All lies. Flying solo can be a time of to refresh, heal, reflect, try something new, be independent, and take a darn nap in the middle of the day if you want to.

I have to remind myself of this constantly because my mind and heart always default to the first list which is so unhealthy and so untrue. But in this lesson there is space to grow and challenge ourselves. So I encourage you to do that alongside me if this is a struggle for you too.

This summer has meant some extra alone time for me due to other people's awesome vacation time and I've been left thinking about how to first be positive, and then experience the benefits of having time to myself.

SO

without further a adue

3 things I've learned about being alone:

1. I started to hear myself think. It was amazing to me how much time I spent filling my head with music, conversation and my twitter feed. Spending time just being has offered a space to quiet my mind and reflect on a lot of things. And I sort of love it.

2.  True character is shown when no one is watching. I leave things out on the dining room table, feel the need to decorate with fresh flowers constantly, and have a bit of a tasmanian devil cleaning moment when company is coming and I am the only host (Yes, I am turning into my mother.) There is so much to learn about who we truly are when we are the only ones around.

3. We weren't meant do live life alone.  We were born into community and we were meant to stay in it. Humans need each other. It is so important to connect, share, and experience life with one another. We are supposed to. This could be a whole separate blog post, yes? So although spending parts of your time alone is good, refreshing and needed, it shouldn't be an all the time thing.

Frankly, I am still trying to get used to flying solo in life, and luckily it doesn't happen often because there are so so many people who are consistently part of my daily grind. But, when those moments of solitude do happen, it is way easier to sit back and enjoy my time, create something, refresh my mind and reflect on this season of life.

What do you do when you're alone? Do you enjoy that time?