Your life can sometimes feel like a constant rush: Work commitments, going out with girlfriends or visiting family members can fill your schedule rapidly. It’s all very exciting, not to mention, exhausting. When you do find the opportunity to catch your breath, what then? Do you, like a number of women, find it hard to relax and enjoy your own company for a while? Here are some tips on how to truly cherish your time alone without feeling lonely.

Don’t worry about what others are doing

It’s easy to imagine that all of your friends are having a fabulous time on a Saturday night whilst you’re home alone. If you’re not careful, you can easily find yourself experiencing jealously and loneliness. It doesn’t matter whether your friends are having the time of their lives or a miserable evening. If they’ve had a terrible night, you can cheer them up by planning your own night together. If they’ve had a great night out, share their stories and know that you’ll share similar evenings together in the future. Let go of the fear of missing out. When you do, you will find that spending an evening on your own can be just as much of an enjoyable experience as spending time with friends.

You don’t have to pretend

Life isn’t a competition to be the most popular person around. Spending time on your own is nothing to feel guilty or down about. Don’t feel the compulsion to lie to people if you haven’t received any invitations from friends for the weekend. If a colleague asks what you’re up to on Saturday, be honest. There’s no shame in being alone because you are going to enjoy the opportunity to slow down and enjoy your own company.

You don’t have to keep busy

Being alone doesn’t have to mean preoccupying yourself with tasks. You don’t have to distract yourself from the fact that you are your only company. Filing your bills into chronological order or alphabetizing your DVD collection can wait. You should be taking this opportunity to do the things that you love, not chores that you’ve been putting off for months. If you seek out tasks for the sole reason of keeping busy and forgetting that you’re alone, you will only find it harder to spend time on your own when the chores are done.

Discover something that you really enjoy

Being on your own is a perfect time to look into new activities. Just because you’re not socializing, doesn’t mean that you have to spend all day slumped on your sofa watching TV. If you’ve had thoughts about giving a new hobby a try, research it online, read books and do something totally new. It could be sports and fitness, arts and crafts, cookery or DIY around the home. When you find the hobby or activity that fits the bill, you will find spending time alone a prospect to look forward to.

Get out and about

Getting out of the house can do wonders for the mind. It’s invigorating and inspiring. You can spend time alone in your favorite coffee shop or bookstore, or you can expand your horizons and try something new. Even if you make a trip to a local museum you’ve never been to before, the experience is an accomplishment and one you enjoyed and did all on your own. Once you have confidence in your own ability to spend time alone, seek out adventures further afield. Spend the day in a neighboring city or book a short break away. Thousands of women enjoying travelling alone and you could be one of them.

Spending time with family and friends is very important, but having time out to spend some time alone is also essential. Forget what’s going on in other people’s lives and concentrate on your own happiness. When you enjoy your own company, you will always be content, whether you are alone or with others.