When I first got to college, I honestly wanted to stay in my little shell. I wasn't anti-social in high school by any means, but I did have my own room at my house where I spent more than enough time to myself. Coming from a big family, I cherished quiet alone time almost as much as my first iPhone back then. But then I got to college and MAN did that shake up my introverted routine.
If I wanted food, I had to fight through crowds of my fellow undergrads and wait in lines for my oversized bowls of pasta. I was handed flyers by strangers on a daily basis inviting me to join a club, a sorority, or attend a function of some sort.
In short, alone time became a figment of my imagination. If you'd told high school me about that phenomenon — that I would basically never be alone for four years — I would have literally run away screaming. But once I was in it...I was IN it and I couldn't get away from it. And weirdly enough, I started to enjoy it.
There was always someone to hang out with, to grab food with, to study with, to drink with! Once I got used to that, I glommed onto it really quickly. Everything I did, from grabbing my morning cup of joe to learning the timeline of the Old Testament (shoutout to my Jesuit university for that one...), at least one person, if not more, was by my side.
But then... graduation. Or, for my fellow Class of 2020 undergrads, a graduation slideshow while we were all safe at home.
Even in high school — heck, from preschool to 12th grade — I was with my peers in class 8 hours a day, five days a week. I did clubs, sports, had a job serving ice cream, and had a solid group of friends because of all the time we spent together doing all of those things. The idea of forging a life for myself outside of the boundaries of school terrified me.
To combat that, I started looking into and trying various tactics for learning how to genuinely enjoy time by myself. Connecting with others was still a huge thing on my do-to list (as it still is to this day), but I knew that post-grad adult life was going to bring a certain amount of quietude to my routine.
Essentially, I started seeing the possibilities open up all around me. I didn't need to eat what the dining hall was serving on a given day, I didn't have to agree with my friends on which rose to drink on a Friday night, and I didn't have people hounding me to attend parties, functions, clubs, and extracurriculars. I could do whatever I wanted...and it felt GREAT.
Instead of getting down and out about suddenly being alone all the time, I did my best (and still do) to look at the numerous bright sides of having alone time as an adult! After all, I do plan on having a big family of my own later in life just like the one I grew up in, so I figured I'd better relish the quietude and autonomy while I have it, right?
1.First Things First: Make a List
2.Start Doing the Things on That List
3.Podcasts, Podcasts, Podcasts, & More Podcasts
4.Establish a Weekly or Monthly Schedule
5.Mindfulness & Meditation
6.Avoid the FOMO
7.Start a Creative Hobby
8.Daily Journaling
9.Improve Your Culinary Skills
10.Get Out of Your House
11.Take More Walks in Nature
12.Practice Self-Care
13.Print & Frame Photos (or Make an Album)
14.If You Have a Pet, It's Time for Some New Tricks
15.Get Outta Town
16.Start a Windowsill Herb Garden
17.Work Your Way Through Some Classics
18.Brainstorm Goals
19.Learn a Language
20.Dance It Out
Do you have suggestions to add to the list? Let us know in the comments.