Building Confidence with Living on Your Own

Moving twelve hours away from my friends and family in Pennsylvania was hard, but I knew I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to co-op with Kimberly-Clark. At school, I knew my family was only a two and a half hour drive away. My mom is the type of mom who was 100% prepared to drive to Penn State when I was crying during first semester finals week because my coat zipper broke. With that being said, I wasn’t convinced I was totally prepared to live on my own for the first time. First of all, I was incredibly bad at being alone. If given the choice, I would nap in my friend’s dorm while she studied, just for the company. So, once again, I wasn’t completely convinced that I was able to move to a new state where I knew no one and would be living on my own. 

But sometimes, you just have to take a leap of faith that you’ll figure out, hope you will succeed, and, ultimately, build confidence in yourself. 

Pictured: At the top of the Balanced Rock trail in Baraboo, WI

I was lucky I had a roommate in Wisconsin and several other friends through the Kimberly-Clark Co-op and Intern Network. However, they often went home on the weekends. It was hard to make friends in Wisconsin because we lived in various places, compared to moving to college where there were all kinds of potential-friends just across the hall. During my co-op, I did get to hang out and explore with fellow co-ops but there was also a lot of downtime where I just needed to enjoy life while being by myself. In order to learn how to enjoy life while being alone, I started doing yoga. I used yoga as a tool to manage my anxiety, listen to my thoughts while also clearing my mind. This was an hour where it was just me, my thoughts (or lack thereof), and peace. By attending yoga, I was able to then utilize these clear mindset tools to build confidence with being alone. For example, if I was getting anxious about being alone, I meditated and released these negative thoughts. 

During my co-op, I also joined a Jiu-Jitsu self-defense class! The first class was free so I thought, might as well check it out… and it was an awesome decision! I ended up sticking with it for the remainder of my co-op. It allowed me to meet more people and form a sense of community with a group. This self-defense class also made me feel more comfortable being alone, which can be scary sometimes. But once again, I felt confident in my ability to stand up for myself thanks to the tools I learned in the Women’s Empowered class. 

Pictured: With my Jiu-Jitsu Women’s Empowered Self-Defense belt

Another way I built confidence to be on my own was by pushing myself to do things out of my comfort zone. For example, I remember this one day in March where I was craving a really good burger, something far beyond my amateur cooking skills. Unfortunately, all of my friends were out of town that night. So, although uncomfortable at first, I went out to eat in a restaurant by myself… and my phone was almost dead, so I couldn’t even pretend to be on social media! It was just me, the menu, and a very kind waitress who had little conversations with me that helped me feel less alone. If you look closely enough, there are always people ready to have a chat if you’re comfortable talking with them. This step out of my comfort zone allowed me to overcome my fear of eating alone in a restaurant and build confidence in my ability to be by myself. I would do it all again for the sake of a good burger. 

Pictured: The burger that was worth me eating alone

In learning to live on your own, I am sure you will gain confidence. Consider learning new tools to cope with this situation and stepping out of your comfort zone! You will experience so much self-growth through living on your own and build confidence in yourself. 

Maiah Repovz ☺
Team G Mentor