It is not being alone that is threatening. Sometimes, you need alone time when you feel the desire to disconnect from the people around you. It is the loneliness that seems threatening. You can always work this factor out of your equation with yourself by being your own best friend. Here are eight activities you can do by yourself when you need alone time.
Cultivate a hobby
No matter what it is – be it reading, gardening, listening to music or even collecting fridge magnets, cultivate a hobby that puts you as the creator of something. Do it for the sake of doing it and for the joy it gives you. If that means reading up on it, taking a course or investing a couple of hours everyday, by all means go for it!
This is essential for reaching a stage where you are one with yourself and the universe; where you find comfort with yourself. Meditating does not mean you would need to disappear into a forest, lose contact with family and friends or leave for the Himalayas. You can choose a meditation technique that suits you and do it in the comfort of your home.
Work on your fitness
Be your own fitness buddy. Here is why fitness is important. Pursuing fitness gives your a sense of accomplishment, happiness and lets you enjoy your strength and stamina for a longer time. It releases the right hormones that keep depression at bay and improves immunity. This means you are happier and can get a lot more done. This, in turn translates to greater accomplishments in your personal and professional life.
Practice positive self talk
You are your own best friend and you must thus be your own agony aunt. So motivate yourself. Follow the attitude of gratitude where you count your blessings – even the simplest ones and feel positive about where you are going in life. Cut out the negative self talk such as body shaming yourself or harbouring feelings of anxiety or insecurity which is so common among us. Instead choose to focus on your strengths and let it meet your limitations.
Maintain a blog
Best friends write to each other. So maintain a blog. Write about your accomplishments, recipes, fitness milestones, hobby status, realisations, monologues to self and notes to self. Many weeks later when you are well ahead in this journey of befriending yourself, you could go back to the old posts and simply marvel at your strength. If you are uncomfortable about having readers, keep the blog password locked. If not, this could be quite the next thing.
Date yourself
Take yourself out. Go out to a bookstore, to markets, for photo exhibitions. Admire, learn, create. Treat yourself like you would treat someone really special to you. And do not focus on the others around you. Look inward and focus on yourself. And always remember to buy yourself a small gift.
Do one thing that makes you happy everyday
Everyday pick one simple pleasure. It could be eating a kiwi or watching butterflies. It could even be taking a photograph of the sunlight pouring into your bedroom or painting an apple. But pick one and do it.
Invest in yourself
Pamper yourself. Set time aside for yourself. Do your laundry or make sure it is done, ironed and kept top notch. Plan healthy, fulfilling meals. Give yourself a facial, body scrub, manicure and pedicure. Take care of your hair. Look after your emotional well being too. Celebrate being you. And fall in love with who you are!
The post How to be Your Own Best Friend — Ways to help better understand and befriend your mind, body, and spirit appeared first on Appleletics, Inc.
