“Can you come to the bathroom with me?” I can’t tell you how many times, as a college-aged female, I’ve been asked this question. Since middle school, we’ve all for some reason been taught that when we go to the bathroom, we do it in groups. Going places in groups can be a super great precaution to take in some situations, but there comes a point when you have to stop fearing the world, and just go out and do something on your own. We’ve gotten so easy to having a companion in most everything we do, that doing something on your own seems relatively taboo. I’ll take a step off my preaching block and admit, I don’t typically like going to the caf alone for dinner. I admit, I’m human, and humans enjoy companionship. Despite this, I still get satisfaction from doing some things alone. Whether it’s taking yourself to coffee, hitting the mall by yourself, or going to the park to sit and enjoy a good book, there are so many benefits to doing things on your own. So here are the reasons I really appreciate doing things on my own occasionally

1. I am not always a people person.

Practically everyone says this, but I really mean it. I love my friends and my family, but when I’m around other people for too long, I get pretty stressed. Sometimes I need a day or even just a few hours to myself. Personally, I love clearing my head with a cup of coffee and a good book, preferably poetry, but to each their own. Find your cup of tea (I’m just going to take a little break to laugh at my own pun) and indulge in it any time you have a stressful day. I promise it will make you feel better.

2. I get to choose what to do.

Most people don’t share or understand my love of poetry and literature. I geek out over people like Walt Whitman, e.e. cummings, and C.K. Williams while most of the world is concerned with the Kardashians. I myself love a good dose of pop culture (I am a HUGE Beyoncé fan), but I also have a wider range of interests that people don’t typically share. A lot of my friends aren’t into reading, and very few of them are into writing, so no one ever wants to go to poetry readings or the bookstore with me. If I were to depend on having someone with me every time I went somewhere, I would never get to do the things I love. Going out on my own allows me to choose what I’m doing, where I’m going, and how long I’ll be there. I can go sit in a bookstore or a library or a coffee shop for hours by myself with no one rushing me, and when I do, I enjoy every minute of it.

3. It’s a confidence boost.

Going places by yourself eliminates dependence on others, thus promoting independence. I have become so much more comfortable with myself by doing things on my own, and because of it, I have ultimately taken more action in my life. Without the fear of doing things on my own, I can be comfortable, proactive, and productive more than I ever have been before, and as much as I love hanging out with friends and family, sometimes I need that confidence boost and breath of fresher air.