9 Signs You’re Very Much Alone But Not At All Lonely

1. You’re comfortable being by yourself.

Your friends call you on the weekends to hang out. Sometimes you go, but sometimes you just want to stay home and enjoy yourself, by yourself. They worry that you’re being antisocial, but you know you’d rather do the things you want to do without worrying about other people and their wants.

2. You love yourself.

You don’t need somebody else to believe you’re worth loving. Relationships may come and go but your absolute faith in yourself is all you need to get through the day.

3. You know how to spend your time.

It’s always balance between “you time” and time spent with the people you care about. While you enjoy your own company, you know it’s also important to maintain the relationships in your life as well.

4. You date, but you’re not looking for a lifelong partner.

Dating is fun; it’s nice to get out and meet new people—or old ones—and just let go. But you don’t scrutinize everything about your date like a potential partner for life—it’s more about enjoying the moment spent with another person and appreciating it as it is. You’re not stressed about finding your soul mate, because you know no matter what, you’ve got yourself and the people you love in your life to pass through life with.

5. You know how you should be treated.

Nobody treats you better than you treat yourself.

6. You’ve developed skills you wouldn’t have otherwise.

Being alone usually means you’ve got to figure out how to survive without the immediate help of others. This could mean you teach yourself how to cook, or fix a broken pipe, or plunge the toilet. It’s about trying things out and hoping they work, and then, after a few tries, knowing enough to do it with confidence.

7. You’re fiercely independent.

You value your freedom and you take advantage of it as often as possible. You can fill your schedule with as much stuff as you want without worrying about anyone else’s plans for your day. Or, you could leave everything open, choosing instead to either go with the flow or take a few days to yourself. It’s all up to you, and that’s what you love most.

8. You trust yourself more than anyone else.

You know that you and you alone have the power to make yourself happy.

9. You know who you are.

You don’t need to be defined in relation to another person to feel like you have any sort of identity. You don’t feel any sort of emptiness, like you’re incomplete without your “other half.” You know what you like and what makes you happy, and you continue to do these things. You also know what you don’t like, and what makes you sad, and you do your best to avoid these things. You have an idea of what you want your life to look like, and you work hard to achieve your goals. You live off the support of those you love, but, most of all, you are your own motivation to be the best that you can be.