When you go to book something or make reservations online it automatically comes up with two tickets and it is something I noticed the other day, and it got me thinking.

A lot of people are uncomfortable doing things alone. Going out for dinner, going to the cinema or going out shopping. You can binge watch Netflix by yourself, so why can’t you go see a film by yourself?

People seem to be ashamed of going out alone. Just because I am out by myself doesn’t mean I am lonely or sad. Sometimes I can enjoy myself the most in my own company.  As an introverted individual, I find a lot of social interaction tiring and sometimes I need that space to recharge my battery. There is nothing worse than being out with a friend and realising halfway through how emotionally drained you are.

And I’m not here telling you to purposely not go out with friends when asked or anything like that, just know that if all your friends or family seem busy there is no need to wait for when they are free. For you can go out by yourself.

Maybe, you have a fussy friend who doesn’t always like the same food you do. It gives you a chance to go do things that other people might not enjoy as much.

Or maybe there is a new film out but no one seems to what to see it. At least if you go by yourself there is more popcorn to eat.

As a woman, the only thing I would suggest that you can’t do is to go out drinking in a pub at night by yourself. Annoyingly you might get into some trouble that way but besides that, you have an array of activities.

A lot of people don’t like the idea of going out alone because they don’t want to be judged. They don’t want people to think they are lonely or have no friends. When my anxiety gets the best of me and I start to overthink about what strangers are thinking of me I say to myself “90% of these people I will never see again and if I do they won’t remember me. They are complete with their own lives to worry about and probably don’t care about what I am doing or who I am with”

At the end of the day. No one fucking cares.

Some activities you can do alone and you don’t seem to care. It is only when the activity is deemed fun or enjoyable that suddenly you have to find someone to do it with. For example, picking up groceries versus going out for dinner at a restaurant.

You might find that whilst you are out alone that other strangers may interact with you. Now, I personally couldn’t think of anything worse but apparently, some people like to interact with strangers as much they would do their own friends.

Sometimes I find I can be in a group of people and feel so incredibly lonely. It isn’t necessarily the quantity of people but the quality.

As scary as it may seem to, try and go out alone sometime.

Grace Hemphill