Finding Joy in Solo Dates

February 17, 2024KellyC123

Welcome to the Finding Joy series! Here I will be sharing activities that help me to find joy in my life despite whatever my current situation may be. My hope is that you can also find joy in your life. Whether it be through any of these activities I share, or hobbies and experiences that you love.

We’re currently in the middle of the For The Love of Self series. Today’s topic is a fun one, we are talking about solo dates. Solo dates are exactly how they sound, a date you take yourself on. While they can feel massively uncomfortable at first, they are great acts of self love. The more you do it the more comfortable you’ll feel as well. In today’s post I’m sharing tips on how to make the most of your solo dates, as well as examples of dates for you to go on to get you started.

Why Solo Dates Are Great To Do

Before we get into the dates I thought I’d share a few reasons why solo dates are great exercises for loving yourself more. By knowing the benefits, you’ll be more likely to get past the fear and actually take yourself out.

It Gives You Time To Get To Know Yourself

Whether it’s an hour, or more, this time is great for reintroducing yourself to yourself. If you’ve been feeling lost or stuck, taking time to get to know yourself again is crucial. You can do this by journaling while you take yourself out to dinner, attending a hobby class that you are interested in, and more.

You Get A Break From The Daily Grind

If people in relationships get to have breaks from the daily grind by doing fun things, why can’t we? Just because we are single doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life to the fullest.

No Longer Miss Out On Things You Want To Go Do

This is a point I’m honing in on this year in my personal life. I have this bad habit of getting excited about an event only to get upset when I can’t find anyone to go with. 2024 is the year of me going anyway. I’ve already started doing this and it has made me feel so empowered and free.

13+ Dates To Take Yourself On

These are some examples of dates that you can take yourself on. You’ll notice they range in price. It shouldn’t be expensive to show yourself love. So don’t let the price deter you, just pick another activity. For mor activities check out this article.

See a movie

Walk in the park

Mani/pedi

Concert

At home spa night

Eat a meal at a restaurant

Go to a museum

Go to an art gallery

Take a class

Go to a flower garden

Go to the farmers market

Take yourself out for coffee

Go on a solo trip

Go dancing

What To Expect On Your First Solo Date

If you’ve never been on a solo date before, here are a few things you’ll experience during your time. Don’t worry, it’s not all bad.

It Will Be Awkward: Just like if you were going on a first date with another person, the awkwardness is normal.

You Won’t Know What To Do With Yourself: It can be hard looking around and seeing everyone else in groups when you are by yourself. Resist the urge to scroll on your phone or leave.

Time May Feel Like It’s Going Slowly: Take advantage of this by being fully present in the moment.

In The End You’ll Be Happy You Went Through With It: You’ll find that by the end of the date you are enjoying yourself, especially the more you take yourself out. Loving yourself is never a waste of time and is always a great way to treat yourself with kindness.

4 Tips For A Great Solo Date

As I mentioned, it can be awkward going on your first few dates. Here are some tips to remember to make the most of your time.

Remember Why You Are Doing This

There may be times where you wonder why you are sitting there alone and think about leaving. In these moments think about why you decided to pursue going on solo dates in the first place. That will help you get your perspective back.

The More You Date Yourself, The Easier & More Fun It Will Be

I recommend going on at least one solo date a month, but feel free to do more if you are able to. You’ll start to feel more comfortable being alone at a table, in a theater, etc., the more often you do it.

Choose Something Interactive For Your First Few Times

Because sitting alone at a restaurant is one of the more awkward feeling solo dates, at least in my opinion, I wouldn’t recommend starting with that. I believe my first solo date was the Barbie movie. This worked out great because I was paying attention to the movie instead of my surroundings. I had no time to realize if I was the only one that was alone.Having something else to focus on is ideal for your first few solo dates until you get comfortable being by yourself.