How to Date Yourself

When I was in my 20’s I really took dating myself with a lot of enthusiasm. Of course, I was single and was not interested in being in a relationship with someone at that time in my life. But I really enjoy those dates with myself, and to be honest I still do this.

It’s a great opportunity to unplug, be alone, (not lonely) and write down your goals, thoughts and explore the world on your own. It gives space for self reflection and to learn to be self aware and get to know yourself better. If you are an extrovert this might seem scary to do or you would rather spend time with friends or at least one friend at a time. But I am telling you, you will enjoy it once you get in the habit. You will probably wonder what others think of you for being there by yourself, but to be honest don’t worry about what others think, only what you think about yourself matters, people don’t even notice, everyone is in their own world, so don’t mind that and enjoy your time alone.

What To Do?

Set apart a time for the date.
Get ready, dress up. You want to feel good and confident as you go out.
Take a book, magazine notebook to take notes with you and to enjoy.
Enjoy your time alone!

What and Where?

Go to a bookstore or library.
Browse around for a book you would enjoy, and purchase or borrow from the library and take your new book with you to a cafe and with a drink in hand enjoy reading or at least try to because if you’re like me you will enjoy the people watching.
See a movie in a movie theater.
Go to the movie theater by yourself and get popcorn, candy, drink or what you like and enjoy it there alone. Again this is also a great spot for people watching.
Go outdoors to a park or beach.
Getting out in nature is very good for our bodies and mental health. Breathing the clean air, listening to the birds chirping, the sound of the breeze, hearing the sound of your steps in the pathway, or to just getting to listen to the waves crashing at the beach, this renews your mind and soul, it’s just the best, there is no better cure for anything, than to go outdoors.
Drive around town.
Listen to your favorite album, playlist or radio station and enjoy the drive. It’s also a great time to think. Always be aware of your surroundings, so you don’t get lost and end up on the wrong side of town or end up having an accident. Also pack some snacks and something to stay hydrated, this will keep you from getting hangry if the time of the outing is between meals.
Go get lunch/dinner.
I would normally only eat out alone during the day time, but if you feel comfortable to go for dinner, then go for it! But getting a coffee, tea, or any drink and eating lunch alone is a different experience, you must try it.
Stay at home.
Enjoy this time alone. Dance to some music or listen to your music. Make your favorite comfort food or you can order take out go all out and have a movie night or watch that tv show you enjoy. I also recommend using this time to read a book that you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t been able to, you could also make this into a spa night and paint your nails, do your skincare, put on a mask and just relax.
Go shopping.
Or window shopping haha, We all love this pastime, retail therapy is therapy. Set a reasonable budget and get that shirt, blouse or pair of jeans that catches your eye and would go with your wardrobe. Don’t buy just for the sake of purchasing something, if you don’t feel like spending you can enjoy the window shopping.
Go to a church service or to a theater and enjoy a play.
Going to a church, if you’ve never been, can be very interesting, and insightful depending on what the denomination it is. Go with an open mind. Now days, most churches have websites or you can search nearby churches online and check out their social media sites and be able to learn more about what their beliefs are and from that choose one to visit. Hopefully you will find welcoming people greeting you and there will be some singing time, kind of like in a concert where you sing along, and listen to a bible talk/message. You will walk out hopefully encouraged, challenged or in a worse case scenario more confused. I would recommend a Jesus following and believing Bible teaching church. Remember, the people that go to a church are by no means perfect or know everything or have all the answers to life, they are just like you, their only difference is they’re looking for God’s guidance in their life, so don’t have too high expectations, but if they call themselves christians they at least should be kind 😉.
Going to see a play or a ballet can also be a very fun, enjoyable and enlightening experience. Dress accordingly and hopefully you can get a seat where there isn’t a tall person sitting in front of you, haha. This has happened to me before, I did not enjoy the play.