{"id":18844,"date":"2019-04-14T14:00:11","date_gmt":"2019-04-14T21:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/datemixstaging.wpengine.com\/?p=18844"},"modified":"2021-05-31T08:52:56","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T15:52:56","slug":"i-have-no-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/friends\/i-have-no-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"I Have No Friends: 4 Reasons It’s Not As Bad as You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maybe you\u2019ve moved to a new town or city, maybe you\u2019re the lone wolf in a group of couples. Or maybe you\u2019re at a place in your life where you want to do you, and are struggling with finding your people. <\/span>Whatever your situation, when you get home on a Friday night and realize you have no plans, nobody to hang out with, and nobody to call, it can feel pretty sad. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being friendless can make you want to wallow and think something is wrong with you. But if you can flip the script of your current circumstances, you might find that your solo time can be a rich time for soul-searching. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I should know this. I recently picked up and moved to a new city across the country without knowing a single person. I\u2019m not saying it doesn\u2019t get lonely when you don\u2019t have a friend nearby to lunch with, but I do know that you can definitely grow in ways that you never imagined. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are four reasons why not having friends isn\u2019t as bad as you think. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You learn to enjoy your own company.<\/strong>
\nThere are some people who don\u2019t ever spend time alone, and let me tell you, this is a serious disservice to themselves. Without a companion, you\u2019re forced to try new activities alone. Whether it\u2019s a new sport, an excursion, or simply dining alone, learning to enjoy your own company is integral to self-reliance, self-love, and, ultimately, self-confidence. You learn that you don\u2019t need a friend to accompany you to a spinning class, or you don\u2019t have to rely on someone to do the thing that you always wanted to do. By learning to enjoy your own company, you expand your self-awareness and discover that you’re your own best friend. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You learn to validate yourself.<\/strong>
\nToo often we rely on our friends for their opinions and advice, from our professional choices to who we\u2019re swiping right and left on. We might even become accustomed to needing their validation when it comes to making decisions. Without friends, you learn to rely on your own decision-making skills. You learn to trust your instincts, and understand that you alone are in charge of your life. You feel more empowered by the choices you make, and lean into the accountability of the actions you take. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You risk more. <\/strong>
\nJoining new classes, attending a concert alone, or going solo for a hike in the mountains; these are all risks we take when we don\u2019t have a support system around us. Of course we don\u2019t necessarily need to take these risks; we could just stay in our homes, watching Netflix alone. But there\u2019s a life to discover and experience with or without friends, and when you don\u2019t have your safety net at your beck and call, you’ll be surprised to find not only are there a number of opportunities to take advantage of, but you’ll be more interested in taking advantage of them. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You grow exponentially.<\/strong>
\nYour growth game is going to level up when you\u2019re spending time solo. You’ll have  time to reflect on where you\u2019re at, and where you want to go. You’ll decide how your current circumstances reflect, or don\u2019t reflect, your life goals. Taking advantage of this time to focus on you and your needs and passions is one of the greatest gifts you\u2019ll ever have. You have the opportunity to create the life you want without distractions or outside opinions. This is when you’ll choose where you want to grow and learn, and how you can be the best person for you, moving forward. Maybe that\u2019s focusing more on your business, career goals, or your personal life, or maybe it’s about your inner personal journey. Everyday is a new day to be the best you. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No doubt we need friendships in our lives. Friends help us develop and grow, and grant us a source of love and support, and fun. But if you\u2019re in the middle of a moment where you\u2019re alone, it\u2019s important to know that you can provide those things for yourself. You can use this time to develop and grow, to become your own source of love and support, and, yes, fun. When we learn we have the power to be our own best friend, then we learn that we’re never really alone. And life suddenly becomes filled with possibilities\u2014including meeting new potential BFFs\u2014once more. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why time alone can add richness and reflection to your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":18846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[994],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-friends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nI Have No Friends: 4 Reasons It's Not As Bad as You Think<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Being friendless can make you want to wallow and think something is wrong with you. 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