Being alone offers an opportunity for reflection, for feeling more confident in your independence, and for simply appreciating your bad self. Rather than worrying if everyone is hanging out without you this summer, take a step away and enjoy some solitude. Here are 10 things you can do alone that’ll put you in touch with your personal power.
Go for a hike
Pack a backpack up with some Bulk Barn candy, your journal and a stockpile of podcasts and hike to the nearest grassy area to walk your way into the zone. Or, bring nothing and put your phone on airplane mode. Get immersed and let clarity find you.
Take yourself on a hot date
When was the last time you really treated yo’self? Go for a splurge-y vintage shopping session or get smart cocktail at a swanky bar followed by some indulgent takeout. Sometimes, self-care means simply showing yourself a good time”and reminding yourself that you love yourself enough to do it.
DIY something
That patio furniture you’ve been meaning to stain or your ramshackle bike that needs your love? The epic mirror mosaic you printed off Pinterest with the best of intentions? Do. It. Now. Whatever DIY project has been lingering around your mind, make a date to acquire your materials and get to work. Allow generous time for execution and enjoyment.
Pick a director and do a movie marathon
Build up your film buff muscle and set aside a rainy afternoon for a culture crash course movie marathon. Pick a director you’d like to excel at.
Paper plan your future
Go to an art store and buy a dedicated journal to plan your future on paper and dream big. Whether you make an epic bucket list, take a couple lofty goals and draw mind maps for each, or just free write until some juicy ideas find you, get your dreams down on paper and let them grow.
Start your memoir
Start by writing a list of 10 stories you’d like to write before you die. Put this list away for a couple days then revisit it, then write one. A couple days later, write another. Then another. Just get a first draft down of each. The important thing is that you finish them. At the end of the summer, you’ll have a bunch of drafts that could serve as a foundation for your memoir.
Make a scrapbook
Making scrapbooks is a really satisfying way to cherish memories. Print out photos from Facebook, Instagram and get yourself a proper scrapbook and give those pictures a chance to become handheld memories.
Take a class
Classes are one experience that are often worth the cash they require. Joining an art or professional development class can provide you with the community you need to stay accountable and motivated and the new skills to take action in a more meaningful way. The right group and the right teacher can be a game-changer.
Cook something ambitious
Cooking something ambitious is a fun date idea, but the experience is more enriching when you do it alone. Choose a recipe you’ve always wanted to make, like your grandmother’s rhuarb pie or your dad’s homemade sausages. Ideally, choose something you’d like to master and be able to whip up when company is on their way.
Write snail mail
Set up shop at your kitchen table like it’s Christmastime and write some long love letters to your friends and fam. The satisfaction of doing this is pretty much unparalleled, except for when you get a letter back. That rules too.
