When was the last time you sat by yourself in silence?

Sunset in Morocco

We often fall under the preconceived notion that doing nothing is a waste of time. I’m here to convince you of the complete opposite. I’ve learned some wonderful things about myself in the past year. That is, once I stopped being afraid to let my brain wonder freely. It’s not easy, and I’ve often found it challenging. For example, for the last few weeks, I’ve been taking myself out on coffee dates. No phone, no laptop, no book. Just me and my coffee and my thoughts.

I’ve gone over ten times, it still feels unnatural.

On these “dates” however, I got the chance to fall in love. I started thinking about my friends and family and caught myself smiling about little details that I often overlook. Little treasures that I often take for granted because I’ve been lucky enough to get used to.

Other days, I’ve gotten sad because my mind has wondered to uncertainties that I might not be ready to face yet. These are the scarier days, the ones that remind me why its easier to turn to a screen whenever there’s the chance.

Have you ever tried it? Just 15 minutes of lying in bed, staring at your roof, alone with your thoughts. I personally find that it can be hard to sit still sometimes. At first, I thought I just had too much energy to just be. That I enjoyed constantly doing something, and that the moments I wasn’t I should be scrolling on something to “give my brain a break”. I quickly realized that I was just playing an avoidance game. If you never stop to think about it, it’s not really there is it?

Something I liked from Pinterest

It’s funny how many things we push down in hopes that they’ll fix themselves. Things and thoughts that often try to surface and we don’t give them a chance to develop. Give them a chance?

Both are so beautiful and rewarding in their own ways and I urge you to try it. It is a good feeling to know you can be bored on your own and be just fine.