Activities I Enjoy Doing Alone

It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that I like being alone. I’m very much an introvert, which means that being around too many people for too long drains my energy. Whenever I’ve spent some time in company, no matter how good, I need some alone time afterwards to re-charge. Growing up, there weren’t any other children my age in my neighbourhood so I spent a lot of time playing alone and learned to enjoy my own company. It might sound sad or lonely to some but to me, there’s something quite comforting about being content in being alone. There’s a big difference between being alone and being lonely: one is a choice while the other isn’t, and being alone by choice can be very lovely.

There are definitely advantages to doing things alone. Whatever it is you’re doing, you get to do it at your own pace and with your full dedicated attention, which often makes for a completely different experience than if you were to do the thing with someone else. It also allows you to selfishly cater to your own needs and wants for a certain amount of time, which can be really nice, especially if you’re normally a “people pleaser” or somebody who tends to go along with the wishes of others a lot. Today I thought I’d share some of the activities I enjoy doing alone. If you’re so inclined, give them a try sometime and see how it feels. You might just find it really relaxing!

Picknicks

There’s nothing like packing up some fruit, crackers, hummus and a thermos of tea, picking out a book from your “to read” shelf and heading to the park to spend a few hours by yourself. This is something I’d regularly do on sunny days back when I lived in Utrecht and didn’t have any outside space of my own. The park around the corner was my back garden, and I adored just sitting on a bench or blanket for hours. Having a sip of my tea every now and then, and switching between reading a few pages of my book and watching all the different kinds of people that’d walk past. Now that I have a balcony I don’t do this quite as often, but it’s still something I like to make time for every now and then when the weather allows it. It’s a wonderfully relaxing experience.

Shopping

Here’s one I actually much prefer doing alone. Shopping is so much more effective and fulfilling when you’re calling the shots as to which shop you enter, how quickly you go through it, whether standing in line for the changing rooms is worth your time or not, and when it’s time to take a break or head home. Shopping with a friend can be lots of fun. I loved doing it as a teenager, and I still really enjoy the occasional social shopping trip, but the older I get the less happy I am to spend a lot of time in sections or stores I’m not actually interested in. Whether you want to just hop in, get what you need and get out, or spend hours browsing every single item, it’s up to you.

Theater Visits

Until recently, I didn’t really have anyone around who enjoyed opera as much as I do. My mum was willing to visit the occasional performance with me but I don’t think she ever really liked it, and considering the cost of a ticket, it just wasn’t worth it for her. After I discovered I could get student discounts in uni, I started going to the opera alone. Honestly, in this case it doesn’t really make much of a difference whether you have someone with you or not. It’s not like you can talk during the performance anyway, and the break between acts is usually just long enough for a quick bathroom visit. I love being able to snatch that single seat right in the middle of a row at the very last moment at a great discount and spontaneously have a night out by myself.

Museum Visits

Museums are in fact pretty similar to shopping trips, in terms of why they’re great to do on your own. When I’m in a museum or art gallery, sometimes a piece captivates me and I want to stare at it for hours, looking over every bump in the paint and every little detail in the frame. In some rooms I want to read all the little plaques, and some rooms I just walk straight through as the work isn’t my style at all. I can spend an obscenely long time in a museum, but when I’m done, I’m done, and when it’s not my cup of tea, I really don’t want to spend more time there than necessary.

Talking about the art you’re looking at with someone definitely has its charm, but there’s something about being able to completely lose yourself in an artwork without having to worry about anything else, that just wins for me. I love it.

Girl’s Night In

Drinks, snacks, face masks, a blanket and a re-run of your favourite show. Need I say more? When Robbert is out of the house for an evening, this is often my activity of choice. I’ll pamper my skin and hair with a nice nourishing mask, bring my waterproof speaker to the bathroom and play some relaxing music while I spend an extra long time in the shower exfoliating, dry brushing, and doing whatever else needs to be done with extra attention and care. Afterwards I’ll pour myself a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and watch a costume drama that I know Robbert won’t enjoy. I surround myself with snacks as I drape my body across the sofa in a very unflattering but comfortable position, and I don’t move for the upcoming hours. Bliss.