There are a lot of reasons why incorporating some “me time” into your life can be worthwhile. Whether you’re an introverted person looking to recharge your social battery, someone who’s having a hard time meeting up with friends, or someone who’s just “not feeling it” with social interaction on a given day, there are tons of reasons why hanging out by yourself is valuable. 

But sometimes when I’m alone and looking to recharge, I have a hard time deciding what to do with myself. Sure, I can default to the same old things I usually do, like reading the book I’m currently in the middle of or catching up on the latest episode of a new TV show, but sometimes these things can get boring and repetitive. Finding fun things to do alone, things other than the activities we tend to default to, can be difficult. It’s hard to let yourself have fun sometimes in the absence of other people. Truly existing in a space with yourself, and enjoying life with just you, is a hard state to reach, especially if you’re existing in a place of low self-confidence in a given moment. But you don’t necessarily have to love yourself to love being alone with yourself. 

As of late, my partner has been stuck at home with a chronic illness, while I’ve still been heading out to work every day. This list was inspired by them. Since they’ve been on medical leave from work, they’ve had to find creative ways to entertain themselves alone at home. And while this list also includes outside activities, it also mentions some fun things to do alone in the home when it’s either hard or impossible to leave. It’s hard to stave off boredom when you’ve been stuck in one place for a while. But hopefully, this list can give you some ideas of things to do alone, regardless of your circumstances.

Fun Things To Do Alone

1. Take Yourself On A Date

Now, this may seem a bit silly at first. But bear with me– Taking yourself on a solo-date can actually be pretty fun! Plan it out like a regular date, with a time when you’re going to get to your destination, and an itinerary for the day or evening. I also recommend dressing for the occasion, as it can get you more in the mood, whether this be in formal or casual wear. Then you can head out for your date. Something I absolutely recommend is spending some time in nature, whether it be preparing a picnic for yourself, going on a hike, or reading in the park. Being out in nature is a great way to reflect on the things currently going on in your life, and to take a breather from any stressors that may be bringing you down. I also recommend heading out to a cafe to do some journaling or reading. Personally, I prefer choosing cafes over restaurants when I’m out by myself, but if you feel comfortable enough, a restaurant can be a fine option as well. My absolute favorite solo-date activity, though, is going to the movies. With no one else there to judge or control your movie choices, you’re free to see whatever you want anonymously, no outside opinions required! I’ve even made a day of it before and seen a couple showings in a row. Again, with no one else there to set time constraints, it’s really freeing to be able to choose exactly what you want to see.

2. Make A Personally-Tailored List Of Activities And Randomize It

As someone who has a lot of trouble making decisions, I use some kind of randomizer pretty often in my life. Whether it’s a flip of a coin to decide what flavor smoothie to get or randomizing which shirt to put on in the morning out of a few options, I use a randomizer because it either A) helps me make the decision quickly or B) shows me an option which I then reject because I suddenly realize I wanted the other one all along. For someone with indecision problems, it’s a lifesaver. But it can also be used for a fun night at home. Write down a list of your preferred type of media, whether that be books, TV shows, games, etc., and then randomize it. You could get something you don’t expect, and end up having a fun night of variety. Sometimes I’ll stick with the randomized list I get, and sometimes I’ll go off the rails and end up bingeing something I didn’t expect—either way, it can be a fun thing to do alone. 

3. Movie Night With Yourself

My partner is a movie person, and this is something they’ll do by themselves when I’m not around and they’re in a movie mood. Pick 2-3 films you’ve been wanting to watch. Then, make a small home cinema environment, complete with blankets, comfy clothes, etc. I highly recommend getting movie snacks as well: ever combined fresh popcorn with peanut M&M’s? It’s better than you may think! The heart of movie night by yourself is to make yourself feel like you’re at the movies, or having a movie night with friends, but still making it a special event despite it being something you’re doing alone.

4. Treat Yourself To A Spa Moment

Regardless of your gender, everyone could use a good spa moment. Pampering yourself, and making yourself feel clean and fresh is something that’s high on my personal list of great self-care activities to do, and is a great thing to do alone. This can be anywhere from an elaborate, multi-step home spa experience to simply buying a few products from your local pharmacy and trying them out at home. Some basic things I recommend are bath/showers, lotions, face masks, nail polish, and hair treatments. If you want to get more advanced, there are also plenty of places to look online for education on spa products and what they do. When I first started doing spa nights, I had no idea what I was doing, but with the help of the internet and some friends, I really started to enjoy them. It’s just generally all-around nice to feel clean and refreshed, especially at the end of a long day.

5. Do A Hobby

We all have something creative that we used to like to do that we’ve since stopped doing. Often, we reflect back on those things and wish that we could’ve kept up with them, but get bogged down by the pressure of being “good” at our hobbies. But I think it’s valuable to keep doing these things regardless. As long as you have fun while doing it, creative projects don’t necessarily have to reach some high standard or expectation. You can just let them breathe and exist alongside you. Try starting a new cooking project, writing those poems you used to enjoy, sketching in an old sketchbook, exercising, playing music, or whatever hobby you used to call your own. Chances are, even if you don’t get into the flow of it or enjoy it the first time around, you will eventually. 

6. Re-Experience Something You Loved A Long Time Ago

Do you have a piece of media that you used to be obsessed with a while ago? This could be something you experienced and loved a few years back, or even something that you loved in childhood. Alone is the perfect state in which to revisit something you used to love, and to honor it with your complete focus. Often I find that when I come back to something that I loved at a certain stage in my life, the new perspective I have in the present makes it an entirely new experience. So pick up that series of middle grade books you loved as a child, or watch that movie that made you cry back in college. You could have an entirely new experience this time around, and learn some things about yourself along the way.

What are some things you like to do when you’re alone? Have you tried any of the activities above?