Isn't "me" time just the best? When you’re alone, you can do anything your heart desires, and the best part is no one—not your friends, roommates or SO—will be there to judge you or complain about it. So for those times when your roommate goes home for the weekend, your friends have to work, your SO has to cram or you just want some time to yourself, here are 14 things you can do all by your fabulous self when you’re flying solo.
1. Wander around a bookstore
Bookstores are best enjoyed alone. This way you can traipse through the charming literary aisles at your leisure, thumbing through as many books and magazines as you possibly can and daydreaming about being a part of all the beautiful stories on those shelves. That sounds like a pretty stellar way to spend the day in our book (too much?).
2. Chill out at a coffee shop
Who said you can’t have an amazing hangout sesh all on your own at your favorite coffee shop? Order your favorite brew, find a seat and just chill. Coffee shops are some of the best places for people-watching. Or you could always bring along that new book you just bought…
3. Netflix marathon and snacks
Some days, what we want more than anything is just to turn on some Netflix and binge our current TV obsession. We all know it’s not a true marathon unless snacks are involved, though. So bring out the candy and cookies, and let’s get it going.
4. Go to a museum
Going to a museum with other people is fun, but going to a museum by yourself is relaxing. You can take however much time you want to walk through, without having to worry about matching another person’s pace. Mariel Tishma, a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago, enjoys going solo to museums. “I can look at weird art and not wonder if I’m lingering too long on something or if the other person is bored,” she says. Museums are also a great place to just be. Like Mariel says, “It’s just a time to be quiet and not think, so it’s also meditative in a way.”
5. Drive around pretending to be a pop star
True freedom is being able to drive around town with the windows rolled down belting Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” Sia’s “Chandelier” or pretty much any Adele song and not caring at all that the guy in the car next to you is giving you a weird look. Obviously, he’s just jealous because you’re having a blast. Let me live!
6. Pamper yourself
Having a spa day with your girls is great. But having a spa day with your #1 girl (yourself) is priceless and seriously necessary. Whip out the luxurious lotions, cozy candles and pretty polishes to give yourself the treatment you deserve. Complete the package with your favorite playlist of soothing songs. We’re feeling relaxed just thinking about it.
Related: 5 Spa Treatments You Can Do in Your Dorm
7. Have a solo dance party
Blast your favorite anthems until your neighbors/roommate(s) beat on the door, and then turn the music up louder! Just kidding, don’t do that. But you should dance your heart out all around your room. If you’re feeling ambitious, look up some choreography on YouTube and try it out; then make up your own. Your friends will be way impressed the next time you all go out dancing.
8. Shop ‘til you drop
It’s great to go shopping with your friends, your sister or your mom…until it isn’t. You know that feeling when you’re exhausted from having shopped for three hours and just want to go home, but the person you’re with is just warming up? Yeah, that doesn’t happen when you shop by yourself. Plus, you can try on all the clothes you want without feeling like you’re making your friends wait on you. AND you don’t have to go into the stores your friends like just because they went into the stores you like. Win-win-win.
9. Go see a movie by yourself
Pick a movie, any movie. You can get your ugly cry on with a super tragic love story or laugh until you can’t feel your face in a ridiculous comedy. The first time you go to a movie on your own can be scary, but once you do it, you’ll feel empowered.
You might even discover you enjoy going to the movies alone so much you make it a regular thing, like Sydnee Lyons, a first-year graduate student at Florida Atlantic University. “I love going to the movies by myself! 10/10 would recommend," says Sydnee. "It's something I started doing during my undergrad program to unwind. I'd go on a weekday at a really off time, when there were probably one or two other people in the theater. It's been two years since I graduated and I still do this. Honestly, I find the whole experience really peaceful. Plus, it's a bonus that I don't have to compromise on the movie or snack choices!”
No matter what you choose, you’ll feel liberated knowing that you don’t need an SO—or even your girls for that matter—to take you on a nice little movie date; you can do it yourself and love it.
10. Show your skin some love
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we’re not always as diligent as we should be about taking care of our skin properly. So with your newfound free time, make a date with your skin and really pull out all the stops. We’re talking face mask, cleanser, moisturizer, spot treatment—the works. Your skin will thank you.
11. Take some pics, but not for social media
When was the last time you took a picture of something just because? Not for Insta, Snapchat or Facebook but for you and you alone. You don’t need a fancy camera; just take your phone and photograph something that stands out to you. Maybe it’s the neighbor’s cat that always ends up at your doorstep or the ramen you meticulously prepared. Whatever it is, snap a pic of it, edit it if you want to and then sort it into a special album on your phone that’s just for you—not for social media. We’re telling you, it’s so cathartic to have something that’s only for your eyes.
12. Go work out
There are few things that feel as productive as a solid workout. Getting to pop your headphones in and focus solely on you for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour is seriously amazing.
“I love working out alone," says Rachel Petty, a junior at James Madison University. "It gets my mind off anything that’s stressing me out and I just get to have some alone time."
Workouts are the perfect place to spend some quality time checking in with yourself. Not only are you paying attention to your body physically, but you’re also paying attention to your mental health by allowing yourself this time to organize your thoughts.
13. Go out to eat as a proud, independent woman
One of the scariest abilities to master is the art of going out to eat alone and enjoying it. When you’re at a restaurant and you look around and only see couples, it can be kind of disheartening. But, it can also be super empowering to realize you are your favorite person, and how do we show our favorite people how much we care about them? By taking them out to dinner. So head to that new Thai place you’ve been dying to try or the pizza place that serves pies fit for a goddess. If there’s delicious food involved, we’re pretty sure it’ll be a good time.
14. Do that one thing you never do, but always want to
What’s that one thing that you always think about doing? Maybe it’s learning to sew, organizing your closet, signing up for a dance class or finally finishing that book you started last year. Whatever that thing (or multiple things) is for you, do it! Now that you’ve got some time to yourself, just really go for it. Think about how proud of yourself you’ll be when you accomplish that thing that’s been sitting in your mind for forever.
No matter who you are, we all need some alone time here and there. Who knows, maybe you’ll even discover something new about yourself. College should be about discovering and creating your favorite version of you, something that can be done best when you take some time out to just focus on you.