I eat lunch alone at least once a week. I have a husband, two kids, friends, and family. I choose to eat alone because sometimes I just want to be alone. I really do enjoy my alone lunches. I appreciate not having to carry on a conversation or listen to someone else. My sister feels sorry for me.
A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research looked into why people don’t go out and do fun things on their own. Rebecca Ratner of the University of Maryland and Rebecca Hamilton of Georgetown found that people weren’t going out because they didn’t think they would have as much fun without friends. “People decide to not do things all the time just because they’re alone,” Ratner told The Washington Post. “But the thing is, they would probably be happier going out and doing something.”
Why don’t more people do things alone? Because they are afraid people will think they don’t have any friends. “They thought they’d be seen as unusual, antisocial, and strange for going somewhere without friends, but said they wouldn’t attach these labels as strongly to someone they witnessed, say, sitting alone at a movie theater.” I used to be that person. I felt sorry for those people eating alone or going to a movie alone. Then, my husband told me about the times he’d done things alone.
He travels quite a bit and many times if he wants to go out while he’s in different cities, he has to go alone. He said he doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him, he’s doing what he wants and experiencing things he’d never experience if he stayed in out of fear of what people would think of him. He inspired me to try things alone.
I was a little nervous the first time I went out to eat alone, but now I love it. I like not having kids asking me to leave or complaining about the choice of restaurant. I enjoy trying new places, shopping at new stores, and exploring on my own. I encourage you to get out there and do things, alone! I would have killed for alone time when my kids were toddlers. Now, I’m enjoying it while they are in school.
