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I do a lot of activities alone. Not because I don’t have any friends or family who love me and share similar interests, but I’ve grown to enjoy my own company and stepping outside of my comfort zone. The first time I took the plunge was when I went to the Apollo Theatre in Victoria, London, to watch the iconic Wicked The Musical alone for my 21st birthday. I hated it and silently cried throughout the interval, watching people converse with their loved ones. But it taught me several lessons and I have since stopped thinking twice about going anywhere alone. Now, you’d happily find me at the cinema, gig, concert, restaurant, on a solo travel trip and yes, even the theatre, alone. For those thinking about it, but still need convincing, here are some of the reasons why you should try doing activities alone this summer. Increased independence and confidence Apart from learning to appreciate the peace that comes from silence, you could also start learning a new skill or invest in a talent, such as playing an instrument or knitting. “Trying out activities alone can boost your independence and confidence,” said Natalie Viglione, a life, business and spiritual coach who runs Team Gu and the Disrupt Now Program, which helps people and their businesses. “It’s an opportunity to rely on your own judgment and decision-making skills, which can make you feel empowered and more self-assured.” You learn more about yourself It may be easier to coast through life, but taking the time to be self-reflective to learn more about who you are – your likes, dislikes, values and how you are in uncomfortable situations – will provide you with great insight, direction and depth. You might discover new things and experience personal growth along the way too. “The lessons are endless, because the opportunities are too,” said Radha Vyas, CEO and co-founder of group adventure travel company Flash Pack. “Outside of the safety net of your friends and family, you are more open to meeting others, making new friends and creating new connections. The fear of loneliness dissipates almost immediately. Taking on new adventures and experiencing new things [like] solo travelling is life-affirming, and also brings with it a triumphant sense of achievement.” Making new friends Making new friends as an adult isn’t straightforward. But doing activities alone will provide you with countless opportunities to meet people who have similar interests as you. Using solo travelling as an example, Vyas said: “People often feel nervous to travel alone for fear they will be lonely or feel isolated. I’ve travelled solo a lot and have met others at every stage of my journey. “In fact, it’s often hard to have time alone. I think that’s the beauty of travelling solo – you are more open to meeting others and, as a result, wonderful and interesting new friendships form.” Reduced stress and improved mental health There’s a difference between doing activities alone and being lonely. For Lowri-Dowthwaite Walsh, a senior lecturer in psychological interventions at University of Central Lancashire, some people may be more reluctant to spend time alone, because we are often told that we should be with other people. “We are social creatures and tend to crave companionship. We are also aware of negative messages and stereotypes around solitude,” said Walsh. “Some people feel a sense of loneliness when they are alone and may not spend a great deal of time in their own company. Introverted individuals may be more used to being alone than extroverts.” But Walsh goes on to explain that throughout the centuries many philosophers, artists, poets and spiritual leaders have advocated for solitude. “Spending time alone enables you to get to know yourself better. Being alone with one’s thoughts and feelings deepens the relationship with oneself. It also allows for more spiritual and philosophical reflection. Being alone in nature has also been shown to improve wellbeing.” Walsh recommends journaling as a good reflective activity that can be done alone with plenty of time and space. Going for a walk in nature, doing some crafting or painting are also valuable ways to spend time by yourself. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to make your summer tan last longer Why do I get sick when I go on holiday? As Katie Boulter takes Wimbledon by storm, we look at her best on-court fashion so far

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Numerous Reddit forums have filled up with pornography and other adult images in the latest protest against the companies management. The site has been swept by a variety of bizarre protests in recent days, amid a fallout between Reddit’s leadership and those who use the site. The disagreement began when Reddit announced that it would start charging fees for access to its data. That change meant that many third-party apps said they would become unsustainable owing to the high prices, and would opt to shut down. That in turn led to outrage from moderators of the site, who felt that their unpaid work would become more difficult and that the changes reflected a lack of respect from Reddit’s leadership. In protest against those changes, most Reddit moderators took their forums “dark”, meaning that they were inaccessible to the outside world. In the time since, many have since come back online – but with even more bizarre new restrictions, such as only allowing posts that are pictures of comedian John Oliver. Now some of the site’s biggest forums, or subreddits, have labelled themselves not safe for work, or NSFW. That is a setting intended for “mature content”, which not only includes pornography but other kinds of images or posts that might not be suitable in public settings. The tool is intended to protect people from sensitive content. But it also puts a host of restrictions on those forums, such as requiring users to be logged in, and confirm that they are over 18. It also means that Reddit does not receive money from showing those pages, since it does not place advertising on those forums. In line with the switch to being NSFW, many of the world’s biggest subreddits have begun to be filled up with pornographic images. That included previously relatively traditional subreddits, including those devoted to Formula One and Apple’s smart home devices. Some of those posts are particularly extreme and obscene, with users seemingly competing to post the most offensive NSFW content they are able to find. Others have simply switched to being labelled as NSFW but not posting content that fits in line with that restriction. The “videos” subreddit has a rule that everything must include John Oliver, for instance – but during its time as a NSFW forum it continued posting normal videos of the comedian. Many of the posts that claim to be NSFW are actually jokes about the switch to pornography. On the Garmin forum, for instance, users posted “nudes” that actually showed the company’s smartwatches without their usual case on. Read More Reddit user’s protests against the site’s rules have taken an even more bizarre turn Reddit says people will get over outrage and causes further outrage Reddit hit by outage as fight over its future escalates