Too often people get wrapped up in the complexity of busy lifestyles and forget to take a step back, slow down, and enjoy some quality time alone.

Spending some time alone lets you recharge your mental batteries and revitalize your mind and body. Solitude gives your brain a chance to rest and replenish itself. It can increase your productivity and even improve the quality of your relationships. For many, it takes a lot of confidence to go out alone, or even to be home alone. But if you can work through your trepidations, there are benefits as well. Moreover, certain things in life are often best enjoyed alone. So, get over your reservations of being seen alone and get ready to roll solo.

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how to enjoy yourself alone
Things you can do to enjoy your "Me" time

Here are a few inspirational activities to enjoy alone this weekend:

1. Go shopping. For some, there is nothing more relieving and liberating than shopping. The sheer freedom of cruising almost every mall in the town, trying out nearly every outfit, and finding the best bargains is sometimes best done when alone.

go shopping to enjoy yourself alone
Shopping alone can be relieving and liberating

2. Dine at a restaurant. The idea of dining solo may seem daunting, but, in reality, it can be a great way to enjoy yourself. Eating alone allows you to focus on the deliciousness of the food and savor it, compared to people-watching. It is amazing to enjoy your food without fearing you are being rude to your guest, and use any kind of table manners you choose.

dine at a restaurant to enjoy yourself alone
Dining alone allows you to savor your food

You are free to eat at your own pace, free from small talk, from other people’s diet restrictions, or from wasting time waiting for others to arrive.

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3. Go for a cheesy/weepy/embarrassing movie. Going by yourself means you can let your feelings loose without worrying about being judged. There is something truly liberating about watching a movie in the company of strangers who you would never be meeting again. Watching a movie solo has its perks - you can see the flick you want,  when you want, and you get to focus on the plot without any distraction. Needless to mention, you don’t have to split your popcorns and soda.

4. Attend a wedding. Heading to a wedding all alone might seem awkward, but you can actually rock out and have a night to remember. You don’t need a partner to enjoy the party.

5. Go bowling. Bowling alone may sound strange, but it can also let you work on your delivery at a much faster pace. It’s a great way to improve your game without the distraction of competition.

6. Rock out at a concert. Heading to a concert alone can be a rewarding experience. It lets you take in your surroundings and allows you to jam to your favorite songs without any distractions.

7. Sing karaoke. Be courageous and hit a karaoke bar, take the stage, grab a mic, and sing your heart out to strangers.

8. Tour a museum. Visit a museum and see every piece of art and history that the place has. Spend time studying and interpreting art at your own pace, without having to worry about anyone else getting bored or the kids needing to get home to do their homework.

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tour a museum to enjoy yourself alone
Spend some time alone studying and interpreting the work of art

9. Check out a bookstore. Spend an entire day or few hours exploring different genres at a bookstore. Snag a book off the shelf and plop down on one of the couches there, losing yourself in the words of wisdom from your favorite author.

10. Visit arts and crafts festivals. Find out if there are any ongoing arts and crafts festivals in your area. The handmade crafts that you get there are rare to find. Use these to decorate your home.

11. Shop at a flea market. It can be both exciting and challenging as you never know what unique finds you may stumble upon.

12. Scour through a thrift store. Thrift stores are a great place to look for something specific and unique within your budget. Going alone is better than dragging someone who will not let you do your hunting.

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13. Travel to a new destination. Even if it’s just a weekend trip, traveling alone gives you the luxury to do things at your own pace. Go to a new city, spend your day walking around, slowing down to soak up every sight you come across.

14. Head to the beach. Relax with a magazine or novel, go snorkeling, fly a kite, or simply watch people.  The beach can be a relaxing or exhilarating distraction.

head to the beach to enjoy yourself alone
Spend your day at the beach

15. Go on a fishing trip. Fishing alone can be a great way to connect with nature and enjoy solitude. Either try fishing your local waters or try a different place, maybe a new landscape, that is completely different from your home waters. Also, cook the fish you catch and have it for dinner.

16. Visit a zoo. You can see all the animals you wish in any order with no arguments or compromises. Just you and the critters.

17. Take a hike in the woods. Enjoy the trees, bees, the grass, and the breeze on your face. Take in the beauty of nature by exploring the depth of the woods. Just make sure to keep track of where you are going to avoid getting lost.

18. Explore your neighborhood. Spend your day exploring your neighborhood. You might stumble upon a lot of things you missed out on.

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19. Sketch nature. Although you might not be the best artists, painting, and sketching can be relaxing. Take a canvas, get outside, and start sketching nature sitting beneath a tree.

20. Star gaze. Whether you are lying back on the grass in your own backyard or a park, watching the stars twinkle in the sky during the night can calm you down and let you relax and focus on yourself.

21. People watch. Go to a park, a mall, or any public space and simply observe people. Notice the small details about them, how they are with each other, and pay attention to their body language.

22. Strike up a conversation with strangers. Talking to strangers can be one of the best pastimes. Strike up a conversation with bartenders, waiters, people sitting next to you at a bar, coffee shop, etc. You would be surprised at the fascinating life stories of the people sitting around you.

23. Enroll in a hobby class. Remember that hobby you have been putting off? Now’s the time!

24. Try your hand at art and crafts kit. Buy readymade craft kits such as a pottery wheel, jewelry-making kit, sculpting clay, whittling wood, or a stitch kit. Try to master the art and get really good at it.

25. Cook a new dish. Cooking something new and adventurous is a great way to spend time alone. You either end up with a great meal or a dismal failure that no one else ever need know about!

26. Spend some quality time with your pet. OK, this isn’t exactly something you do alone, because you need a an animal buddy along too. But spending some extended quality time with a pet can be very rewarding. If you don’t have a pet, spend some time at the local pet store with the animals there.

spend time with your pet to enjoy yourself alone
Spend some time loving and petting your furry friend

27. Start a blog. If there is something that you are passionate about, write about it. Start a blog. It’s a great way to get yourself to start writing and to channel your passion.

28. Take photographs and share them online. Snap some photographs of some interesting items in your home and neighbourhood. See how artistic you can be! Write something about each the picture and share them online.

29. Volunteer. Join a local volunteer organization that is meaningful to you. It is a great way to give back to others while also meeting interesting new people.

30. Offer to help a neighbour. If you have a neighbour or friend who you believe is in need, let them know you have some extra time. See if they could use any help.

31. Finish that old project. Just about everyone has that old project sitting around unfinished. Or that project that never got started. Now’s the time!

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32. Give your mind a workout. Pick up a Sudoku puzzle, a crossword, or a Rubik’s cube and challenge your mind to finish them.

33. Learn to meditate. Meditation can help you relax and detox your mind and body.

meditate to enjoy yourself alone
Meditate to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body

34. Do some physical activity. Exercising alone can be fun as you get to move at your own pace. Certain workouts can be embarrassing to try out in front of others. Master the workout alone before you try it out in front of others in your gym or at home.

35. Clean your closet or wardrobe. Turn on your favorite music and spend your afternoon cleaning your closet and re-organizing your wardrobe.

36. Wash your car. Give your car a good cleaning. If you feel like it, wax it too.

37. Try out new hair or make-up tutorials. Try out a new makeup/hair tutorial that you always wanted to try out. When you are alone, you don’t have to worry about anyone else witnessing it.

38. Groove to some loud music. Spend some time listening to the music and worrying less about everything else around. Put on some loud, groovy music, and dance along or sing aloud if you feel like.

39. Binge-watch TV series with your favorite snacks. The best part about watching TV alone is that you can watch whatever you want to, whenever you want to, for as long as you want to. So, get some snacks, curl up on one of your comfy couches, and enjoy yourself.

40. Relive your childhood with hot chocolate. Snuggle up in your bed with a cup of hot chocolate and re-watch old movies that you loved watching in your childhood.

41. Watch home-made videos and check out old pictures. Dig out some old home-made videos such as the video of your wedding, video of your newborn, and watch them. Go through some old family pictures that you haven’t seen in ages.

42. Stick notes for your loved ones. Post little messages or positive memories about your loved ones in places where they irregularly visit like a rarely-used closet or a wardrobe or inside their car’s trunk. It will instantly put a smile on their face when they stumble upon the notes.

43. Make a wish-list of things to earn. Visit your favorite store and make a wish-list of things you would like to get. Now make yourself a T0-Do list of things you would like to complete or accomplish and pair them with your wish-list. Reward yourself as you meet your goals.

44. Make a list of places you want to visit. Once you are done with preparing the list, chart out plans to visit those places.

45. Treat yourself to a spa. Let all your tensions and stress get evaporated in the steam room.

treat yourself with a spa to enjoy yourself alone
 Indulge your senses with a spa session

46. Get yourself a manicure and pedicure. Again, there is no need for conversation concerning when or where to go. Just go.

47. Take a long bath. Light some scented candles, put on some soft music, and set aside some time for a long, warm, and relaxing bath. Get into your bathtub with your favorite book or simply just tune into the music and relax.

48. Sleep. Take an entire day sleeping and relaxing. Switch off your mobile phone, hang a do-not-disturb sign on your front door, wear earplugs, spray some lavender essential oil on your pillow, use room-darkening curtains, and catch up on your sleep and relax your mind and body.

49. Lie on the bed doing nothing. Simply having a lazy morning and lying on the bed with no plans for the rest of the day is one of the best ways to enjoy yourself.

50. Watch the sunrise and sunset.

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