People are social beings. They like to be in groups, so, naturally, many will find it unusual when you decide to go out alone.
Besides the fact that you attract special attention that way, many see it as risky precisely because the group provides a specific type of protection.
However, when you cross paths with the expectations of the environment and realize that the only thing that matters is your opinion, everything becomes much easier, and that goes for going out alone.
So, the first thing you need to deal with if you want to go out alone without feeling weird is to get rid of the fear of what others will say.
Why You Feel Awkward About Going Out Alone
While some people feel perfectly comfortable doing things independently, others feel itchy at having to show up at some social event alone.
Social anxiety is a real thing, but the fact that you dread the thought of going out alone is not as uncommon as you may think.
How well you feel on your own depends on how you were brought up, but it also has a lot to do with your character.
Extroverts are naturally more confident and find it easy to make new friends. At the same time, introverts enjoy their solitude but not in front of a bunch of unknown people.
Finding a way to feel comfortable in your skin and go out alone whenever you feel like going out is a skill that is very important in the 21st century.
If you can enjoy having a cup of coffee alone, going to the movies alone, or showing up at a party without a partner, your life will become much more prosperous and possibly much more exciting.
Here are some tips to help you feel at ease when going out alone. Follow them, and we assure you will soon understand that being your own best company is the easiest thing in the world.
Read: 10 Things Every Woman Wishes She Knew
6 Tips to Help You Get Comfortable Going Out Alone
Here are some tips to help you feel at ease when going out alone. Follow them, and we assure you will soon understand that being your own best company is the easiest thing in the world.
Choose an Activity You Enjoy
What do you enjoy most when you are alone? When do you feel safe and secluded without needing anyone to be by your side?
Is it the moment when you drink tea and read a book, listen to your favorite music, or watch your favorite series? You can do many things alone at home with just as much pleasure in a cafe while drinking coffee in a beautiful environment.
Such an activity will be great to pass the ice and enjoy a cup of coffee with you.
So, bring your favorite book, magazine, or music, choose the cafe that seems most attractive to you and immerse yourself in the pleasure.
To begin with, give yourself a deadline, for example, to spend 45 minutes alone in a cafe with a book.
Give Yourself a Task
You have to go to some social event, and you don’t have anyone to go with? Plus, will most people come in a group or with a partner?
Naturally, even the most self-confident person feels discomfort in such a situation. However, choose a simple task and concentrate only on it.
Your experience of the event itself can be completely different. For example, you can set yourself the job of taking the most beautiful photo of a particular moment at the event.
So you can fully concentrate on that and notice the perfect moment for taking a picture. That way, your focus will naturally be directed towards looking for something beautiful in that situation.
You will think less about what others will think or say about the fact that you came alone.
Read: How To Overcome Feelings Of Insecurity
Bear in Mind: No One Cares if You Go Out Alone
The perception that everyone within a five-mile radius is judging you is one of the key reasons you feel strange about going alone.
But this is an entirely irrational belief. Even if someone notices you, they’re not likely to consider how and why you went out alone.
The stigma associated with being alone may be accurate. Still, nobody is expected to pay you much attention most of the time.
People are mainly preoccupied with themselves, and no one will ever bother with what you are doing as much as they will for their own life.
Even when people talk behind your back, it typically does not have to do anything with you but with how bored they are.
Normalize Your Feelings
Allow yourself to experience any weird or uneasy feelings you may be experiencing while out and about alone.
Because we occasionally need companionship and connection, what you feel is perfectly understandable.
It can be a way to boost your self-confidence and improve your ability to deal with emotions of loneliness if you learn to handle them on your own.
Deciding to go out and accomplish your goals can feel pretty empowering, even when you’d prefer to do them with someone else.
Once you go through how you feel when you are out and alone and accept it, you will also be able to notice that no one judges you but yourself.
After that insight, you will never feel the same when alone.
You Always Have a Choice
What’s the worst thing that can happen to you when you go out alone? To go back home, to meet someone, or not to meet anyone?
While focusing on your anxiety, you may quickly lose out of sight that you always have a choice. You can go back home at any moment.
You can call a friend, a family member, or a colleague. You can meet someone. You can refuse to meet anyone. Remember that you always have a choice because that is the truth.
Read: 10 Things Men Do But Will Never Admit
Treat Yourself
Turn going out alone into a treat. Buy yourself something nice to wear, put on your makeup, and choose a place you’ve always wanted to try.
Bear in mind you don’t have to answer any invitations or weird questions. Whether you look like Carrie Bradshaw or Mr.Bean is entirely up to you.
Some people like to sit at the bar and chat with a bartender. That’s always a safe option if you want some casual company.
Advantages of Going Out Alone
We’re so accustomed to socializing with large groups of people and surrounding ourselves with friends that we rarely consider the potential drawbacks of having company.
However, if you want to learn how to do things on your own, making a list of the advantages of doing so could be enough to inspire you to follow through.
You Can Carry Out Your Desired Actions
You don’t need to consult anyone or inquire about anyone else’s emotions besides your own: do you want to skip supper and eat the entire enormous brownie? Try it out.
Do you like to browse one sales section for five hours? You get the afternoon.
You Get to Know Yourself Better
You become a better company for yourself when you get to know yourself better and accept all your feelings.
You will learn to enjoy your company, and the added value is that you will be much more attractive to others.
When you are independent and satisfied with who you are, people often see you as a leader and like to gather around such people.
Paradoxically, when you decide to become the best company for yourself, you often become the best company for everyone around you.
Read: 15 Things Women Do But Will Never Admit
You Enjoy More Freedom and Possibilities
When you go out in a group, others often judge you according to the people you surround yourself with. And sometimes that doesn’t have to be good for you.
When you go out alone, people only see you, and they can be attracted to just what you are. It’s easier for you to pass, and it’s easier to establish contact.
Although a group provides some security when meeting new people, you have many more possibilities when you are alone.
Final Thoughts
You know what they say – practice makes perfect.
The more you go out alone, the faster you will adapt and feel good in your skin wherever you go.
Each subsequent independent outing brings less and less discomfort and more pleasure, and in a moment, going out alone will become the most natural thing in the world.
Remember that many people feel awkward when they go out socially. In essence, the most important thing is how you feel about yourself.
Everything else is easy to solve.
