We all love to have friends, to be in a group, feeling accepted, loved and needed. For many people, this friend group gives them purpose, a reason to go out of the house and is what they do for fun.
What if I told you that this is in reality, not completely healthy, that you need to be alone as well as with friends.
What people tend to not understand is that being alone does not, in any way mean that you have to be lonely. Being alone is a beautiful, intimate thing that we all need to really know anything about who we are or what we are capable of.

Here are five things that we all need, that we only gain by being alone.

1. It shows you if you are capable of being alone and making yourself happy without depending on anyone else. If you need other people to make you happy, your welfare constantly depends on them. This is not fair to them, or you, as no one but yourself can be there for you twenty-four seven.

2. It helps you learn more about yourself, about what you really like and have a passion for. When you are around others, your views of what you enjoy and want may be biased or modified to please them, so this is also very important.

3. Being alone is your best and sometimes only chance to really develop yourself. It's in those quiet hours, where all you have is yourself, your tools, and your thoughts that you can really work. After all, if you want to develop any skill, it will take hours upon hours of dedicated practice. Once again, no one has the time to be with you the whole way, for this is your journey.

4. It's a really great time to do exactly what you want to do, and fully enjoy it without feeling bad about forcing others to accompany you. If you want to read for four hours, or maybe want to walk around town and look at the trees in silence, to enjoy the day, this is a wonderful way to do it. Your own company can very easily be the best company to have.

5. Being alone gives you time to focus on yourself, what happened throughout your day, and in the end your mental health. People need to be alone at least a few hours a week, to just be with their own thoughts, look at their lives and truly go over what they need, want and what might or might not be going on in their lives that require action.
After all, if you never stop to look at how you are doing, you likely won't notice when something is wrong until it's too late.

In the end, being alone provides a host of benefits, from mental health to knowing who you are, and having the confidence and skills to act as that person is frankly, invaluable.

Take a moment, let go of the expectations, demands, and views of other people. Take a moment and be with you and you alone.

I know you can do it!