25 Ways To Have Fun Alone

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post with 25 things you can do with your friends. Some of you mentioned how you don’t have many friends who live near you and I began thinking about a time in my life when I didn’t have many friends either. I understand how hard that can be, especially when you see other people having fun. Trust that God has good plans for you my loves. But, while you are in this waiting season I have tons of fun things for you to do. ​

(all images are from Pinterest)

This is also a great list of things you can do to recharge, care for yourself, or just do for fun. 
I have ten ideas of small happy things you can do when you feel sad, anxious, lonely, or are just bored. Then I have ten solo hangout/date ideas, these are more out and about or planned activities that you can do by yourself (or with someone else let’s be real). Then finally I have five activities that you can do with long distance and online friends through text and video calls.

Little Recharge Activities

Here at An Old Fashioned Girl we (as in me), are all about finding joy in the small things. These are activities that are perfect things to brighten up any day.

1. A Body Reset

This is something I like to do once a week or so. Take some time to stretch, do yoga, take a walk or something else active that makes you feel good. Then take a full body shower with your favorite products. Afterwards use lotion, body mist, your favorite lip mask etc. and put on fresh pajamas. This always calms me down and helps my body feel like it has reset.

2. Make a Fun Drink

If you know me, you know I love a fun drink. Personally, I think there’s nothing better than making a drink for yourself, there is something so therapeutic about the process of making a drink. You could simply make a cup of tea, or you could experiment with mocktails, matchas, different kinds of coffees or something totally new. Take inspiration from famous cafes, your favorite desserts, and the seasons.

3. Buy Yourself Something You Don't Need

I don’t know about you, but I tend to get caught up in the “if I don’t need it, I shouldn't buy it” mindset. But once in a while,  buy yourself something! It could be a favorite snack, a new makeup product, you could pre-order a new book, treat yourself to a cute piece of clothing or a new tea. The list is literally endless. I especially love things that I can order and then can look forward to their arrival. 

4. Have a Dance Party

No matter who you are, you deserve a dance party. Solo dance parties are my personal favorite because no one can judge how you dance or what music you play. I like to pull the shades shut, make a playlist of the random songs I’m obsessed with at the moment and then just dance. This always makes me feel so so good!

5. Journal

I know this isn’t a fun thing for everyone, but hear me out. Writing about your feelings, your day, your favorite things, the movie you watched last night, whatever it is is such a calming experience. It helps me focus on what I’m writing and not all of the thoughts going through my head or the pain/stress/anxiety/exhaustion etc running through my body.  Don’t confine yourself to writing either, use stickers, pictures from Pinterest or your everyday life, draw, write in code or sudoku or with tears whatever helps you express yourself! And just because extra is the best way to be, pair a journaling session with a fun drink and a candle!
Let me know if you want a full post about my journaling journey, processes, and prompts!

6. Take a Walk

​But not just any walk my loves. Romanticize that walk. Listen to an audiobook and dress like the characters in it. Listen to music and pick flowers. Talk out loud to God, read poetry and frolick through the streets. Touch every leaf just to feel it, walk backwards, stop to listen to your breathing or to see the way the sun hits the cars. Take pictures, press leaves, pick wild grapes. Walk but make it something special.

7. Read Only Your Favorite Chapters of Your Favorite Books

This is especially good if you feel sad or lonely. Pull your favorite books off of your shelf and read your favorite chapters in each of them. For me this is Chapter 8 of Little Women, Chapter 26 of Ella Enchanted, and Chapter 15 in Anne of Green Gables. (Let me know what your favorites are!)

​8. Small Batch Baking

Bestie if you haven’t done this before, you need to! This is my favorite thing to do when I’m home alone or just want a little treat all to myself. The recipes tend to take only a few minutes and they make small servings if you don’t want to make a whole batch of something. My favorite recipes are always from Broma Bakery. I love that if I want to I can make them randomly after work or school and it’s such a good mood boost.

9. Write a Letter To Yourself

Taking a few minutes to write a letter to yourself full of hopes, dreams and encouragement is so much fun. You could write to your past self, yourself in the future, or yourself right in this moment. Seal it up and write a date on the envelope for when you will read it again. This could take a few minutes or you could make an afternoon out of it.

​10. Solo Karaoke

Yes this is very similar to the dance party idea, but it’s a little different. Singing for some reason is something that always boosts my mood. You can have a little karaoke party on your commute, or you can use actual karaoke tracks in your bedroom, backyard or randomly in public if you’re cool like that.

​Solo Hangouts

Have a free weekend with no friends who are free? Don’t feel like socializing? Need a little extra alone time? Then these ideas are perfect for you. They’re things you can happily do in your own company. These are a little more in depth then the last 10 activities as some of these may require more preparation. Some of them are out and about, some are easy to do at home.

1. Curate A Space To Make Your Favorite Online Activity Feel Classy

I love watching Youtube videos and I love scrolling through Pinterest, but neither of these activities feel very productive unless I’m sick or waiting in a line or something. A fun solo activity could be to make your YouTube video sessions feel like a short film festival. Write reviews of each video, eat movie theater snacks and host mental interviews with the creators.
    
​Scroll through Pinterest but it’s an art gallery event. Make mocktails and appetizers and dress up to make your boards. Play jazz or classical music, dim the lights and feel like the classy lady you are.

2. Solo Coffee Shop Date

As has been said already, I love a fun drink. Cafes and coffee shops just appeal to my soul. Something very easy and very fun to do is to go solo to a coffee shop. Buy yourself a drink and a treat, bring a good book to read, and have a good playlist playing in your headphones and you’ve set yourself up for the best afternoon ever.

3. Go To A Museum

I love museums, but it can be hard when you have a large group of people who all want to see different things. That’s why going to a museum is the perfect solo activity. You can look at what interests you and stay as long as you want or leave as soon as you are ready.

4. Have a Time of Reflection

Go to your favorite place, whether that’s in nature, your bedroom, a coffee shop or somewhere else entirely. Take the time to reflect on yourself and your life. You can read your Bible, prayer journal, scrapbook, write about what’s been going on in your life, pray, write a letter to yourself, and go through your camera roll.

5. Live Like You're In Your Favorite Book

Most of us here are book lovers, I think for a lot of us there is nothing we would like better than to live in our favorite books for a day. Plan a day for yourself where you’ll eat the foods your favorite character might eat, dress how they might dress, do activities they might enjoy (or that they do in the book). The best part? No one really has to know that you’re reliving a book. 

6. Read a Book In a Single Day

To me, there is nothing more comforting than reading a book in one day. Pick a book you’ve really been looking forward to, make sure your favorite sweatpants are clean and that you have a stash of favorite snacks, and spend the entire day reading your little book. ​

​7. Create Something

I find so much satisfaction in creating something. Why not take some time to make something beautiful? It could be a painting, a piece of jewelry, diying a pair of jeans, making flower crowns, painting candles, anything. Make it fun for yourself, curate a playlist, buy Ollipop and your favorite chips, open the windows if it’s a nice day, and create.

8. Go on a Picnic by Yourself

I have a deep affection for picnics that manifests itself in lists of saved recipes and a wicker picnic basket I rarely use that has plastic champagne flutes included with it. Solo picnics are the most girl in a book activity I can think of. You only need enough food for one person (and it can be all of your favorites), you can bring your drawing, or poetry, or camera, or book, or Bible, spread a blanket out and listen to the birds. You can go somewhere special for it or just do it in your backyard. Bonus points if it’s at sunrise or sunset.

9. Solo Movie Night

I don’t know about you, but there are some movies I love so much that the people in my life are sick of or just don’t care about. So carve out time to watch those movies alone. Again, get all the snacks, the comfy clothes, build a fort or something if you’re feeling extra and enjoy Mary Poppins (or whatever film it is for you).

10. Vlog or Have a Photo Shoot

Plan a fun day (literally could be as simple as going to the pool and getting coffee) bus use your creativity and film it or take photos of everything. Make it cute, make it fun. You don’t have to share it with everyone, but experiment with photography. Doing this isn’t just fun, it also helps you realize how beautiful your boring little life actually is. 

Things to Do With Virtual Friends

I know a lot of us have friends who don’t live near us so most of our communication happens digitally. Here are five things you can do with them because hanging out is hard when you live thousands of miles away.

1. Have a Bookclub

Read a book at the same time as your friends, then you can either have a group chat where you discuss the book, or do a video call once you all finish it. 

2. Cook Something Together (or make a craft)

If you and your friend have a similar hobby such as cooking or crafting you can still do it together. Pick a recipe or project, call each other and stumble (or work through it) together.

3. Study Together

It is my opinion that pretty much anything is better with friends. You and your friend can save homework, projects, or even hobbies to do together while on a call. Sure you might get nothing done, but it’s a great way to spend time together when you’re apart.

4. Answer Questions

I don’t know what to actually call this, but this is something one of my best friends and I do all of the time over text. We name a subject, and the other person has to say either their friend's favorite or what reminds them of their friend’s personality. For example the topic could be months of the year, for my friend September is a month that just seems like her. It’s a fun way to see how well you know your friends and to give each other compliments. 

5. Have a Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Make a list with your friend and then pick a day to do it. Each of you can go around your home or town and take pictures of the items on your list. As soon as you find it, text them to each other, whoever finds everything first wins. You could combine this with a solo date around town to make it even more fun. Make sure you both start at the same time and you take time zones into account.

Those were all of my activity recommendations that are solo or virtual. If you’re in a season without many friends, remember to lean on the best friend you could ever have, Jesus. And trust me when I say that he has people planned for you.

 Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer and dreamer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about reminding girls of their identity in Christ, classic books, history, Louisa May Alcott, and earl grey tea. ​​​ ​