People who like being alone are often given weird looks by other people.
Typically, society expects us to be outgoing and remain active in our social circles. But, as they say, no two people are alike. While some people love being outdoors and amidst people all the time, others like being in their own company most of the time.
If no one has told you, let me be the first one to do it – it’s completely okay to want to be alone. You should be able to do whatever you want in your life (as long as you’re not messing things up in any way).
Regardless of what your friends or family might tell you, being alone can be quite fun and can have its own benefits.
But have you ever wondered why you like being alone?
There could be a variety of reasons for this. It could bring you peace, allow you to engage in your hobbies, devote time to spiritual practices, understand yourself better, maintain your productivity, and other reasons we will cover.
In this article, I am going to explore some of the best reasons why you might like being alone. Let’s take a look.
1) You Are An Introvert
I am sure you have heard the word “introvert” before.
Maybe others have used this word for you, or maybe you see yourself as an introvert too. Whatever the case, introverts usually like spending time alone. It’s just how they are built.
As I was saying above, some people like spending time with their fellow human beings, while some like to stay far away. There is nothing wrong with that because we all have our own preferences in life. Introverts usually find social interactions uninteresting and they need other ways to stimulate their brains.
It could also be that you are an introverted-extrovert. This means that you might like being around a small group of people but you also need your own time to feel relaxed and comfortable again.
You might like traveling alone or with close friends but you might also need to spend some at home to recharge. Human behavior can be complex at times and you might need to study your behavior patterns to understand yourself better.
2) You Tend To Have Low Energy
Different people have different traits. No two people are alike.
There are people who can work all day and then party all night. Somehow, these people seem to have a battery that just won’t quit! But, on the other hand, there are people who seem to get tired rather easily.
If you happen to be such a person, you would obviously like being alone.
That’s because you are able to charge yourself the fastest only when you are by yourself. You naturally feel most comfortable when you’re alone and you can rest or sleep in a completely relaxed manner.
Also, as I mentioned above, if you are an introvert, spending time with other people can quickly drain you.
That’s because the brains of introverts tend to get overstimulated in social situations. And so, they get tired very fast. If you’re nodding while reading this, now you know why you want to be away from the rest of the world!
3) You Like Doing Things Your Own Way
Are you the type of person who likes doing things your way? Do you get frustrated when people deviate from your instructions and start doing their own thing?
Do you ever get the feeling that have to do everything (at home or work) because that’s the only way those things will get done right?
Well, all of this might sound like obsessive-compulsive behavior, but it is what it is!
Some people need things to happen a certain way. For instance, if I want my room cleaned, I would start with the ceiling, then the walls, then the sheets and furniture, and then the floor. Now, if someone messes up these steps, I would certainly not be happy!
This is why you might like being alone. That way, there is no one to interrupt your perfect flow of work! You can do whatever you want and however you want it. There is no one to convince or talk through things.
Peace and quiet, throughout!
4) You Prefer Peace And Quiet
This one is obvious, isn’t it? If you like being alone, it is most probably because you like being in a peaceful and quiet environment.
An environment that almost feels like a spiritual sanctuary where you can be at ease and no one will disturb you in any way. This might sound odd to other people, especially extroverts, but some people really prioritize peace over everything else!
If you think about it, there is a lot of noise in the modern world. Everywhere you go, there is a constant rush. People are always on the go, billboards are always selling you stuff, your phone is constantly ringing, vehicles are moving non-stop, and so on. We might have become habituated to all of this, but ask yourself… is this really what life should be like?
If your answer was a loud no, then you have your answer as to why you like being alone.
You actually want to live life the way it was supposed to be lived. You might not consider yourself a part of the usual rat race and might want to have some sort of sanity in your life.
5) You Are A Thinker
Do you like thinking about the deeper stuff in life? Do you wonder about things like outer space, aliens, human history, science, spirituality, the nature of reality, and so on? Do you ride fantastic trains of thoughts for hours on end? If yes, you are definitely a deep thinker.
And what do deep thinkers need to do their thinking? You guessed it… peace and quiet.
Mostly, I see that people don’t want to be alone with their thoughts. That’s because they soon spiral down into overthinking or negative thinking when they are alone. The stressors of their life quickly fill their minds and they start feeling overwhelmed.
However, there are many people who like to dive deep within themselves and explore the darkest and most inaccessible parts of themselves. They love sorting things out from the inside out and discovering themselves in the process.
If you relate to any of this, you definitely love being alone. ( check our article about how to stop overthinking HERE)
6) Your Best Work Comes Out When You Work Alone
You may be the type of person whose skills and creativity really shine when you are by yourself. Tell me if this has ever happened to you.
When you’re working on a project, and someone is standing next to you, you suddenly start feeling uncomfortable. It’s as if you forget even the basics of your project when someone is observing you!
However, when you are alone, your finest work comes out of you as if you are a master of your craft. We are not sure why this happens exactly but I think it has to do with how comfortable and relaxed the brain is in different situations.
Another reason could be that being around other people distracts you much more than it should. You might not be able to focus even a little bit because of those distractions. This, obviously, can negatively impact your productivity and the quality of your work.
So, you would naturally prefer being alone.
7) You Don’t Like Drama
I am sure you will relate to this.
There is a popular saying in Eastern cultures, “Where there are utensils, there is bound to be noise.”
Similarly, where there are people, there is bound to be drama. This could be in the form of petty politics, arguments, silly tantrums, gossip, and so on.
Now, some people revel in all this superficial stuff.
In fact, they feel energized by engaging in all of this drama. However, normal people like you might want to stay away from it for obvious reasons. You might believe that life is supposed to be way deeper than the petty drama of human beings.
Also, if you are an introvert, superficial things can drain you. You just can’t keep up with who said what about someone. And you certainly don’t want to be swept up in it because you don’t like confrontations! So, it’s better to keep your distance and avoid people for your own good.
8) You Like Enjoying The Beauty That Surrounds You
There is so much beauty surrounding us at each moment.
Take a pause and look around you for a minute.
Do you see it?
The chirping of the birds, the gentle breeze, the swaying of tree branches, the laughter of children, the warmth of sunlight, the beautiful blue sky, and much more.
But how often are you aware of all of this and more? Has your modern-day life blurred out these things for you? Did you totally forget about them in the pursuit of your goals and desires? Most probably, yes.
So, this is another reason you might prefer being alone.
As a person, you might have realized from the core of your being that you are missing out on “life.” You might have realized that one day you will get old and look back at your life, and you might regret that you missed the immense beauty that mother nature had blessed you with.
9) You Are Emotionally Secure Within Yourself
One of the reasons why people usually seek social interactions is that they need to fulfill their emotional needs.
For instance, someone might have a fear of being alone because they never quite received good care during their childhood. So, as adults, they might constantly seek the attention and presence of other people so that they don’t feel alone.
You, on the other hand, might be quite emotionally secure. You may not feel the need to be around people just to feel safe and confident about yourself. You might be the source of your own happiness.
Even if you get into emotional troubles, you might have the ability to deal with them on your own. Either that or being alone might help you deal with them better. If you relate to this, congratulations! There are not many people in the world who can do this.
10) You Can’t Handle Other People’s Emotional Baggage
Now, even though you might be a master at handling your own emotions and their related issues, you might not be well equipped to do that with other people’s emotions.
If you usually have a hard time dealing with people who are more negative in nature, you will relate to this.
As I keep saying, we are all built differently. Some people can handle negative emotions of other people and some can’t. Typically, peace-loving people tend to stay away from other people’s emotional baggage because they make them feel really uncomfortable. It’s not like they don’t want to help. It’s just that they don’t know how.
This point will also apply to you if you are an empath.
An empath is a person who instantly recognizes and relates to other people’s emotions. So, for instance, if you are an empath, other people’s sadness will immediately make you sad as well. This will obviously make you want to stay alone because you don’t want to be affected by negative emotions.
11) You Are Satisfied In Your Life
This is another common reason why you may want to be alone.
In the world that we live in, a lot of people like meeting people or doing things with them just because they are not satisfied with how things are in their lives. If you think about it, this will make total sense. These people may be bored out of their minds, or they might feel like they need “something” to be more happy and content.
However, if you are satisfied in your life, or if you are content in your own company, you may not be motivated to go outside and be with other people. You might not want to go out and get involved in activities to find meaning in life!
I mean, if you are happy at home reading a book or just staring at the ceiling for that matter, why would you make the effort to get ready and go outside?
I know this sounds like pure laziness, but it is quite different than that. Being satisfied and being lazy are two different things. ( check our article about how to stop being lazy HERE)
12) You Just Don’t Like A Lot of People
Now, this might sound rude… but you might want to be alone because you simply don’t like a lot of people.
You might think that most people out there are not worth knowing! Before you go judging yourself, let me tell you that there can be genuine reasons for this, and this doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person.
You see, many people prefer being alone because they have had bad experiences dealing with people when they were little. As you may know, our bad experiences during our childhood can have a lasting impact on our lives. So, if you were bullied as a child or some other mishap happened to you, it is probable that you like being alone as an adult.
Also, it could be that your thoughts, beliefs, and ideas are so different from others that you rarely find someone you can pour your heart out to. It is no secret that most people today engage in small talk when they are hanging out together. And you may simply not be that type of person!
13) You Feel More Comfortable In Your Own Company
This is perhaps the simplest reason to understand. You may experience some sort of social anxiety when you are around other people.
If you have sweaty hands, an increased heartbeat, fidgety behavior, or other similar symptoms while hanging out with people, you might relate to this.
As such, it is only obvious that you will be most comfortable in your own company! After all, when you are by yourself, there are no social expectations to meet, no “right” way to behave, and no pressure to act in a certain way. In essence, you don’t have to wear a mask to fit into different social groups.
You can think of this another way too. When you are alone, you can completely be yourself. You don’t have to fear that people will judge you.
You can wear whatever you want, sit however you want, and think whatever you want!
14) You Don’t Like Getting Too Close To People
This is a no-brainer, isn’t it?
When you don’t like getting too close to people, you will always keep them at arm’s length. You will want to spend time alone most of the time since social interactions could lead to closeness.
There might be many reasons why you are this way. It could be that someone close hurt you or betrayed you in the past. And now, you don’t trust anybody and don’t allow them to come close to you. You might not want to put yourself in a vulnerable situation and the only way to ensure that is by being alone.
Another point that is relevant here is that you might simply prefer to keep your personal life private. As a person, you might not like it if people learn too much about you. So, you might feel that too much closeness with other people could threaten your independence and privacy. And you want to avoid nosy people or jealous people 🙂
15) You Like Spending Time On Hobbies
Different people have different hobbies.
Some like reading books, some like exploring their cities in the evening, some might like spending time with their neighbors on the lawn, and so on. If you like being alone most of the time, it could simply be that your hobbies are indoor activities.
For instance, you might like reading books, listening to music, playing board games, playing video games, learning a new language, learning how to cook, journaling, painting, writing, and so on. You might become so engrossed in these activities that you never know where all your time went!
If this is the case, it is not your dislike for being outdoors but your love for indoor hobbies that keep you away from people. Also, you can do all of these things without ever being disturbed.
16) You Like Devoting Time To Spiritual Practices
This is an extension of the previous point, but it is so prevalent these days that I had to talk about it separately.
A lot of people these days take their spiritual practices seriously. These people want more meaning in their lives and also take some time out every day to get away from their material lives.
So, if you like doing yoga or meditating for an hour or two a day, this might apply to you. It could also be that you love practicing mindfulness as much as possible, which might require you to be alone, especially during the beginning phases.
Also, I have seen that spiritual people, in general, love their peace and quiet over drama and superficial talks. They would rather be by themselves, engaging with their inner being, than wasting their time in things that have no real meaning.
17) You Like Reflecting On Your Emotions
Emotions are a huge part of what makes us humans.
Sadly, most people don’t even understand their own emotions, let alone the emotions of their family, friends, or other people.
This is one of the biggest reasons why there is so much conflict, disagreement, and lack of brotherhood in the world today.
Now, as a person, if you like reflecting on your emotions and studying your emotional patterns, it is probable that you like spending more time alone. After all, it is only when you are alone that you get the time and space you need to sit with your emotions and identify how you’re feeling.
It could be that you are trying to understand your inner world better before you are ready to open up to the external world. It could be that you have some emotional baggage to take care of before you can get close to other people.
18) You Can Live Life At Your Own Pace
I am sure a lot of people might have already experienced this. You see, everybody has a “speed” they like to maintain in their lives.
This speed could relate to their career, finances, relationships, or even just day-to-day activities. Some like doing things fast and are always doing something or the other. But other people like to remain chill and take it slow.
Obviously, if you are the latter, you will want to spend more time alone. After all, that gives you more control over your time and how you choose to spend it. It keeps you from having to worry about accommodating other people’s needs and schedules.
For example, if you have a lot of friends, you might constantly be bombarded with requests to do something or the other with them.
If you just went out with one friend, another one might be waiting for you to do the same! If you prefer a slower-paced lifestyle, it only makes sense for you to keep your circle small and spend more time alone.
19) You Can Reduce Social Comparison
This point has to do with how human psychology works.
I am sure you know that we all evolved from monkeys, right?
And you must also know the popular saying, “Monkey see, monkey do.”
This means that a monkey copies whatever it sees other monkeys doing. The same applies to us humans too! In us humans, this takes the form of social comparison.
For instance, if you see your neighbor buying a brand-new car, you might be tempted to do the same. Even if you don’t actually need a new car, you might want to do it to maintain your so-called societal status.
As a person, you might not like this behavior at all. As such, you might spend more time alone so that you can reduce social comparison. Monkey no see equals monkey no do!
20) It Helps In Developing Independence And Self-Reliance
Another reason you might like being alone is that this helps you develop a strong sense of independence and self-reliance.
Maybe you were raised to be a fiercely independent person as a kid. Maybe you were always taught the value of being self-sufficient.
So, as an adult, you might become the type of person who can handle life challenges on your own. You might be extremely secure with your emotions, needs, desires, and so on. As such, any social interaction you engage in is most probably intentional. This gives you the freedom to craft your social circles exactly the way you want it.
Surprisingly, this also helps you build strong relationships. After all, if you have fewer people in your life, you can grow stronger bonds with them.
Quality over quantity, as I like to say! If so, this is a great way to live your life and spend your time.
