How to be more independent is a question that some people may ask themselves. The answer is not always easy, but it is worth it. Being independent allows you to explore yourself more and do things you may not have before. It can also make you stronger and more resilient. This blog post will discuss some tips on becoming more independent and thriving in today's society.

Becoming an independent person can be challenging.

To be independent means being able to do things by yourself. It also means having the ability to think for yourself and make your decisions without relying too much on others' opinions. Independent people are capable of making a stand for their beliefs and can function well even if they spend time alone.

We do not advocate that you cut ties with the people around you and live alone to embrace independence fully. But, of course, people are social creatures, and we need to interact and socialize with others to function fully in life. We also need to rely on others sometimes to get things done. However, if we rely on others too much, we may lose our sense of self and be incapable of doing things without resorting to help and support from others. Therefore, it's good to strike a balance by learning to have some degree of independence while maintaining our relationships with friends and family. Remember that our parents, friends, and peers may not always be there for you when you need some help, so being independent can save you. So how can one learn to become independent in life?

1. Know yourself better

When somebody asks you who you are, can you answer the question without relying on what others say about you? When it comes to our identities, they can form from how others describe us or how we see and think about ourselves from our point of view. There is some danger in relying on somebody else's opinion regarding your identity because the moment somebody changes their opinion of us, we can get confused about who we are. However, if we know who we are deep inside ourselves, we won't get shaken no matter what others say about us. So one way to become more independent is to get to know yourself better from your point of view. You can try spending some alone time to figure out your goals, hobbies, passions, beliefs, interests, and personality. Analyzing yourself can also give direction on what path you should take.

2. Spend time doing things alone

Again, we are not advocating that you become a loner in life, but sometimes, do you notice that you can't do things by yourself and feel anxious when no one accompanies you? For some people, it is challenging to do the following things alone:

• Dine-in a restaurant
• Watch a movie in a cinema
• Go strolling in a mall
• Make a decision
• Live in a house alone
• Go to the bathroom

To achieve independence, you can try spending time doing your hobbies or passions alone. Being able to enjoy things by yourself can give you a sense of freedom. There's also less pressure from others because only you limit what you can do. You may even get a different perspective of things and know yourself better.

3. Level up your confidence and self-esteem

Two things that can influence being independent are your confidence and self-esteem levels. Lower levels can make people more reliant on others and thus impede self-sufficiency. However, it's easier to do things yourself if you have a higher opinion of yourself and feel confident in your skills and knowledge. Thankfully, confidence and self-esteem are two things that you can build up over time. Should you find yourself deficient in these things, there are ways on how you can level them up. Working with a life coach may also boost your confidence and self-esteem as they will nudge you to do your best to get what you want in life.

4. Make a stand and decide by yourself

When it comes to making your own decisions, it can be difficult to determine without asking what others think. No matter what others say, in the end, it's you who will make a decision. Nothing is wrong with getting opinions from others, but we must also learn how to decide for ourselves. It helps if you have a solid foundation of beliefs that enables you to take a stand and decide without following what others say to you. Choosing for yourself can be a fulfilling experience, knowing you thought about something by yourself and deciding to pursue it.

5. Tell others when they can help

Nothing is wrong with being helpful. However, receiving too much help and support from others can spoil us and make us incapable of attending to our own needs. That's why it's a common discipline strategy for parents to let their children do their thing without providing too much interference so children can learn to be independent. Even as adults, it can help to know how to do things by yourself without relying on others' support too much. Our friends and peers may not always be there to lend a helping hand as they also need to tend to things in their lives. Ask for help when you need it and work with others if the task is a group activity. Otherwise, if you can accomplish something solo, try doing it yourself and see how the results turn out with your skills.

6. Remove limiting beliefs in your mind

One of the reasons why an individual might be fearful of becoming more independent is due to the presence of limiting beliefs. One may think that they cannot do something without the help of others. It can become a debilitating condition when we are suddenly left to ourselves when we are used to doing things with somebody else. It can be pretty anxious, especially for somebody more of a people person. Try it first and see how things turn out before dismissing yourself that you can't do it. Maybe you need to learn a new skill to do it by yourself. Whatever limiting belief or fear you might have are just thoughts in your head. You can train yourself to overcome them and realize that you can do some things in your life by yourself.

Independence can be a good thing.

Depending on others is not a terrible thing, but too much of it can cause one to lose footing when acting and making choices on your own. On the other hand, independence can allow one to thrive when no one can help you. In addition, being independent may let you discover more of yourself and see what you are capable of doing. Remember to balance your "me" time with your social time with other people so that your well-being can benefit and be more ready to face whatever may come your way.