Sometimes, the most important thing you can do for yourself is be alone. Whether you're just walking to class by yourself, or eating by yourself, or even seeing a movie by yourself, being alone has a lot more merit to it than people give it credit for.

It's understandable why people don't like to be alone; solitude comes with a certain and unmistakable negative connotation of loneliness. People fear loneliness as much as they fear the dark, or death. To a certain extent, we're all a little bit afraid of being alone. Even more than that, we're afraid of people thinking that we're lonely. Especially in this day and age of posting everything on your Snapchat story, or having the best new Instagram picture, the everyday image everyone seems to want for themselves is that of a social, outgoing person who is always hanging out with friends.

But it really doesn't have to be that way. Not in the sense that people shouldn't hang out with their friends, or that you shouldn't get food with your roommate. More in the sense that it's perfectly okay-- it's even normal-- to spend some time by yourself. If anything, it's healthy.

When you're by yourself, there's no stress to outwardly be any sort of way. There's no social stigma you have to live up to. You don't have to try for other people, you don't have to put up a facade if you're having a bad day. You can just be.

Time alone allows for introspection. It's a chance for you to try and understand yourself-- what you're thinking and how you're feeling, what's stressing you out lately or what's making you happy. It's a time for you to plan out your goals for the day, or to just listen to your favorite song in peace.

The idea that every person is constantly being social is an illusion. It's important to remember that nine times out of ten, no one is judging you if they see you by yourself. No one is going to assume you have no friends, no one is going to assume that you have no social life.

But to isolate yourself from the world, even for just a moment, can be truly horrifying for some people. And at first, getting used to existing by yourself can be hard. It's a little awkward and you'll feel a bit self-conscious. You may feel insecure and downright uncomfortable. However, in the end, being alone is a fundamental cornerstone of growing up and becoming who you are.

Once you can start to understand yourself, everything else in life will start to fall together more easily. You'll know how to handle yourself in relationships because you'll know your own faults. You'll be able to have more concise and realistic goals because you've thought about them. You'll be able to, in general, know how to feel better about yourself.

There's only one person you're stuck with your entire life: yourself. Get to know yourself. Try and understand yourself. Figure out what makes you tick on the daily, figure out what's been making you happy. Learn yourself and, eventually, know yourself. You're the only you that you've got-- as weird as that is to say.