Going Out Of My Comfort Zone: Eating Alone

Sitting silently alone in an open environment like a food-court or restaurant leaves us feeling visible and more noticed by others. Having no one sitting across the table to keep us company makes us unease, we then rely on our phones to fill in that gap. I have decided to do this challenge because of my recognition towards one’s anxiety of eating out solo. The purpose of going out of my comfort zone is to welcome new experiences and possibly adopt new habits. In addition to this project, I have to put myself out there out in the area of discomfort. This project’s motive is to drive me in pursuing things I am not usually comfortable in doing. Furthermore, for this project, I intend to go out of my comfort zone by eating alone and not using my phone whilst carrying out the challenge. When we step outside of our comfort zone, we are exposing ourselves to uncertainties, and giving the means of the probability of encountering pressure and our fears; and we are not certain of what the outcome may be. My goal is that once I start stepping out of my comfort zone I expect myself to be willing to push myself further, as I challenge myself and my comfort zone improves so what I found difficult and nerve-racking becomes easier as I keep stepping out of the usual lifestyle. Moreover, I hope to experience some solitude, to spend time with myself and focus on myself. Also to break from empty and gossip talks to which it will allow me to reflect upon other issues worth talking about while eating on my own.

As for the planning, I firstly must come up with an idea of what the challenge is going to be. Secondly, I will choose the best place in which I will carry out the project and that location being Seacon’s Square food-court. Thirdly, I will have my mobile phone with me in order to film this event as evidence that I have done the challenge to complete the project. Moreover, while undertaking the challenge I will ensure to keep myself out of the ease and make sure that I am facing one of my insufficient fears.

Now, I am a social person, whose usual environment is to be around others. Going out to eat and having deep conversations with my friends is how I roll, I mean I live in the same condo building with my all friends, so I never eat alone. With this challenge I made my way to a food court at Seacon Square, I got a card for my food and I was looking for a table for one. It is a situation in which it may seem very familiar to some, but yet it was uncomfortable for me. In order to make this more challenging I decided that I was not allowed to use my phone whilst eating alone, I really wanted to feel the moment and not have temptations in escaping from the reality of me actually eating alone. I noticed that while I was eating alone my mind started to wonder, I was somehow more aware of what was going on around me, I paid attention to the food I ordered and how it was presented. Although eating alone was somewhat awkward and lonely, on the bright side, I actually thought it was quite pleasant. I could be carried into my own thoughts, look around my surroundings and not have to worry about seeming to be rude to the people dining with me. I was able to eat at my own pace, as there was no one waiting for me to finish up my food, nor was I waiting for someone to finish theirs. Dining alone can seem daunting, especially when you probably have to explain yourself why you’re eating alone, and you do need to choose your place to eat as well. However, thinking deeply about it… After all, some people couldn't care less about what you’re doing or who you are with. The staffs at the food-court are just there to clean up tables and simply get their job done, and other people eating around me are engaged in their own things, so it’s a high chance that I was eating alone peacefully and overlooked by.

I personally believe from this experience that the hardest thing about eating alone was having that nonstop overwhelming feeling of being judged by the people around you when you probably even weren’t. Despite the agreeable discovery of eating alone, I would truthfully say that it wasn’t the best experience and it is not something that I would want to do regularly but I would definitely do it again.