#selfgrowth

Simple ways to feel better about Being Alone!!

─ · · learn the difference between loneliness and solitude because they feel similar and they are completely different

─ · · develop at least one hobby that you do entirely by yourself and genuinely enjoy

─ · · take yourself somewhere nice occasionally a restaurant a gallery a film and let yourself enjoy it

─ · · build a morning routine that you look forward to even when no one else is there

─ · · make your home feel genuinely welcoming to you specifically and not just to potential guests

─ · · cook a proper meal for yourself because you deserve the same effort as anyone you'd have over for dinner

─ · · get comfortable walking into places alone without your phone as a social prop

─ · · develop opinions and preferences that are entirely yours and not shaped by what anyone around you thinks

─ · · spend a whole day doing exactly what you want with no compromise required and notice how that feels

─ · · stop filling every quiet moment with noise because the quiet is where you find out who you are

─ · · make friends with your own company by treating time alone as time with someone you like

─ · · travel somewhere alone even briefly and discover who you are when no one who knows you is watching

─ · · stop treating being alone as a problem to be solved or a gap to be filled

─ · · find the things that make you laugh when no one else is around and do more of those

─ · · build a relationship with your own thoughts that isn't anxious or avoidant just curious

─ · · learn something purely for yourself with no social benefit or shareable outcome

─ · · create something in private that you never have to show anyone and discover the freedom of that

2024 was such a blur for me, and I feel like I wasn’t really taking in the present moments as much as I should have. I don’t want to repeat the same thing in 2025, here’s a little few ways i’m implementing living slower in 2025. 

SHOWER MEDITATIONS. Each time I’m in the shower, I just focus on rinsing, soap, rinsing then I get out. While its a small thing to consider, as someone who has a lot of thoughts especially during school mornings, it's a nice way to ground yourself. 

If you’d like you can start off with a little prayer, thanking him for access to clean water and a bathroom. Let the water take all the struggles and stresses you have down the drain, use soap to renew yourself of yesterday for the new day and focus on how the water feels on your skin. Then, you can end it off with a prayer as well. 

TAKE THE TIME TO BE IN THE SUN OR NATURE. Perhaps you can read a book, listen to a playlist or just soak that time spent in nature. It's completely up to you, but I wouldn’t do anything that's too distracting like studying or scrolling. 

SAY THANK YOU, FOR NO ONE. Each time you get to sleep in your bed, say thank you. Each time you eat a meal, say thank you. Each time you get to have access to water, say thank you. There are a lot more opportunities to say thanks, but it just allows for daily appreciation of things that we do without thinking. 

UNATTACH YOUR PHONE FROM TASKS. Certain tasks, you do not need your phone. For example, cooking. When you cook and perhaps you’re waiting for something to boil, wash some dishes instead of opening instagram. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be a task, when you’re in a car, don’t look at your phone, look outside at the window and observe the people or the cars you see. 

NO SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE MORNING OR EVENING. Social media is meant for quick consumption, but because it's so quick, we underestimate the time that we spend on it. Only 10 minutes can easily turn into an hour. I would avoid using it during these times because this is probably when we’re the most easily influenced by fads, products or misinformation. 

REST IS A TASK. Take the time out of your day to rest, because you need it. It doesn’t have to be a singular session daily either, it can be regular small intervals throughout the day. Use this time to reflect on how you’ve spent your time earlier, then do whatever you consider to rejuvenates you. 

LISTEN TO YOURSELF MORE. While the self improvement community does perpetuate the idea of ‘following the plan, not the mood’, (and i agree to an extent) but being miserable while trying to be productive is not ideal. If you’re sad, take the time to calm yourself down. You’re angry, then channel it into something high energy but not necessarily productive. 

Replacing shame with gratitude is one simple step you can take TODAY to start cultivating self love.