A Bored Person’s Guide to Becoming a Happy Hermit

Twitter indicates that many people struggle with being happy hermits. Which, to those of us who like being alone, is a mystery. But it’s okay. Hermiting is a skill you can practice as well as a mindset.

Years of working retail will turn even the hardiest person into someone who treasures their alone time. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years of moving to new cities where I don’t know anyone, and generally preferring the company of my computer anyway.

Many people expect external stimulation for entertainment.

One Wednesday night, back in the retail years, a group of young men came into the store. Not with the express purpose of bothering me, but they were “bored, and there’s nothing to do.” Their logical solution seemed to consist of bothering the commission-only retail staff. They expected external entertainment to such an extent that impeding on the livelihood of other humans didn’t occur to them as rude.

It mystified me at the time that people in San Diego (where I’d recently moved to) could get bored. Did they not understand that video games exist? Beaches are free. Hiking is free. Balboa Park is free.

Years later, I realized that entertaining yourself is a trait almost exclusively learned in isolation. Growing up…