Solo Dining – The Joy Of Eating Alone

“Dining alone is underrated – there is such pleasure to be had in eating what you want and how you want, and allowing yourself to be completely immersed in the experience! “ -Emma Jane Unsworth

My friends thought I was nuts when I used to go eat by myself or go watch a movie alone. Though, an extrovert I have always loved my own company, like having some ‘me’ time every now and then. But after marriage, be it dinner or brunch it’s always either with the spouse, family or friends. Writing this post right now I have a mad rush to do it again. Once you set forth and dine alone a few times, you realise that it’s not nearly as bad as you thought it would be. When you get comfortable with it, you learn a lot of things about yourself as well as your surroundings, which you wouldn’t have otherwise. Eating alone is one of my favourite form of self care.

Oh, and one thing you should never do when the host ask “how many people” is say “Just one!” That sounds like “poor me – it is only me”. You are also setting yourself up to feel bad there is only one! Instead just say, “One, please!”

The idea of dining alone is daunting to most of us. There are people who would rather skip their meal than rather go and eat alone at office cafeteria, or say just order the food and get it delivered to home so as to avoid the fiasco of eating alone. Is it really that hard? Well for some, yes! If you are one such person then you are probably solomangarephobic — the fear of eating alone in public.

Perks of eating alone

Most of us have this feeling when at gym, that people are looking at you, but that’s far from the truth. We are all there to workout and our focus is just ourselves. The same goes for when we are eating alone, we tend to think that everyone is looking at us, and somehow feels like we are deviating from these hypothetical social rules and will be judged by others for doing so. But, your fellow diners are likely to be far too self-absorbed to notice someone eating alone. As for the waiters, they are busy getting their job done.

1. Eating alone, you don’t have anyone to double-check your decisions — where to eat, what to order from the menu. just follow your gut and order whatever you want to eat .
2. You can simply focus on your food and relish it without thinking about the table manners near your partner.
3. You don’t have to share your food. Remember? Joey doesn’t share food!
4. There is no hassle of splitting the bill, and the bill will be significantly lesser since you are alone.
5. Waiters give you special attention. Time to feel like a star!
6. Go ahead and click as many pictures you want without feeling embarrassed.
7. Eating Solo is Empowering, you will walk out with a cardinal satisfaction.

Tips for solo dining

1. Choose your restaurant wisely- you don’t want to be surrounded by couples staring longingly into each other’s eyes, avoid romantic, candlelit restaurants.
2. Go easy on your booze, you are your own safety.
3. Elude confidence or act like it. Always stick to a rule of fake it till you make it! 
4. Dress up- don’t have to look your best, but there’s nothing worse than feeling underdressed and it’s ten times worse when you’re alone. Put on something that makes you feel good about yourself.
5. Stop worrying about what other people think. Do you! Relish your meal, and sip in every drop of that red wine

Once you overcome your anxiety and fear, this experience can be a game-changer. It makes you realise that you are capable of doing many other things alone. Your self confidence level is gonna be top notch, that I guarantee. Who cares what anyone else thinks, life is just too short to miss out on things you like. Learn to love your own company. Enjoy eating out alone, you deserve it!