Let’s be honest—spending time alone doesn’t always come naturally. We’ve been taught to fill the space: with noise, with plans, with people, with productivity. But what if solitude wasn’t something to resist, but something to welcome?

What if your own company felt like a place you could truly rest in?

In the spirit of hygge—where softness, slowness, and soul-nourishing comfort reign supreme—this is a gentle invitation to learn how to enjoy time with yourself. Not because you have to, but because you get to.

Start small, and start where you are.

You don’t need a cabin in the woods or a weeklong retreat. Sometimes, it’s as simple as:

• Making your morning cup of tea or coffee and actually sitting down to enjoy it.
• Turning off background noise and noticing the quiet (and how it makes you feel).
• Lighting a candle at dinnertime, even if you’re the only one home.

These small rituals might seem insignificant, but they create the kind of gentle rhythm that makes your own presence feel more inviting.

Choose comfort over distraction.

It’s tempting to reach for your phone, scroll endlessly, or fill your calendar to the brim. But comfort isn’t always found in doing more. Sometimes it’s found in:

• Rewatching a favorite show that feels like home.
• Sitting under a cozy blanket with no agenda at all.
• Taking yourself on a walk and noticing how the light changes this time of year.

Being alone doesn’t mean you have to be bored. It just means you’re giving yourself the space to actually feel what you feel—and to not apologize for it.

Get curious about your own joy.

So many of us spend years shaping ourselves around what others like, want, or expect. This is your chance to ask: What do I actually love?

• What books pull me in and make me lose track of time?
• What music makes me feel like myself again?
• What simple pleasures bring me comfort: fresh bread? lavender-scented sheets? snow flurries outside the window?

Let your answers guide you. Build your routines and rituals around them. This is about tending to yourself the way you’d care for someone you love.

Let go of the pressure to perform.

You don’t have to document every cozy moment. You don’t have to prove that your alone time is aesthetically pleasing. You don’t even have to enjoy every second of it. It’s okay if some evenings feel quiet in an uncomfortable way. That’s part of the process, too.

The more time you spend in your own presence, the less you’ll need external validation. You’ll start to feel rooted in your own preferences, needs, and rhythms. And slowly, you’ll begin to realize—you like this version of yourself. The one who isn’t performing, just being.

A few ways to make your own company feel like home:

• Make a solo playlist just for you—songs that feel like a warm hug.
• Keep a journal, not for productivity, but for presence. Just jot down little joys or passing thoughts.
• Try something new without the pressure to be good at it: painting, baking, stretching, rearranging a room.
• Create a nighttime wind-down ritual that feels like a love note to your future self.

What I’ve Come to Learn

Spending time alone isn’t a second-best option. It’s not a filler. It’s a relationship—a foundational one.

You are the only constant in your life. You’re the one who wakes up with you every morning and tucks you in every night. So why not make that relationship a beautiful one?

Not perfect. Not always easy. But tender, kind, and real.

You deserve your own time. You deserve your own attention. You deserve to feel good in your own company.

So go ahead—light the candle. Pour the tea. Turn on your favorite playlist. Make space for the quiet. And slowly, steadily, become someone you truly want to spend time with.