As we find ourselves celebrating the pseudo-holiday of Valentine’s Day, I’m sure you can feel the love in the air — whether that feels suffocating or similar to the feeling of a warm blanket being wrapped around you is completely up to you. However, regardless of your relationship status or what day of the year it is, I am here to tell you that you should definitely start embracing the concept of love and dating — no, I don’t mean other people, I mean yourself!
Self-care was a big theme in 2019, and 2020 is all about upping that ante. Right when we thought the Earth was gonna explode and we were told the world was going to end, the new decade began. Now, you’re probably asking: what does any of this have to do with eating lunch by yourself? My response is absolutely everything. Self-care was only the first step in the infinite staircase of self-love. The next step? Treating yourself to more than just a face mask and binge-watching an objectively bad show on Netflix. It’s being so self-assured that you can go out solo, you can enjoy a meal or an activity with just your own company, and reaping the benefits that go along with taking yourself out which includes…
-
You Never Have to Compromise
Where to eat? Up to you! What kind of music to play in the car? All you! Do you want to drown yourself in a sea of baskets upon baskets of bread instead of getting a skimpy salad? Do you! One of the problems with significant others is that no two people have the same thoughts at all times. Even if you have someone special, I’m sure their stubbornness about not knowing where to eat, but especially not wanting to go to any restaurant you suggest, can make you want to pull your hair out. So, let’s give both of you a stress-free night off so you can eat your loaded nachos in peace without hearing about their lactose intolerance all night.
-
You Can Actually Relax
I’m sure everyone who has been on a date before knows the stresses that arise before, during, and after the date. Making sure you look your best after you spent hours getting ready, saying all of the right things and practicing it in the mirror, and ending up wondering what they thought of you after all of that. Now imagine if that all disappeared! You can get as ready as you want to — whether that’s a full glam look or rocking your coziest pair of sweatpants, you won’t have that nagging feeling that you have to dress the part, entertain, or talk to anyone. Taking yourself out will free you of any date-related anxieties and award you with some well-deserved silence and peace of mind (or gives you the ability to catch up on your favorite podcasts – like I do!).
-
You Can Do a Self Check-In
With that peace and quiet, going on dates solo can be a time to reflect and check-in with yourself. We all know that life can get overwhelming with the combination of work, school, and other responsibilities that tend to take up all the space on your calendar. So, while you’re treating yourself with a date, you have a chance to decompress for a few awhile and set your focus on yourself as you evaluate how you are dealing with everything around you. Personally, I usually like to reflect on the week before and think of anything memorable and how I was feeling – whether that’s good or bad. Not only that, but a moment to yourself grants you the chance to try to plan out anything that might be coming up in your schedule so you are able to stay on top of everything.
-
Use It As a Chance to Meet New People
While you could use this time to focus solely on yourself, it’s nice to take an opportunity to branch out from your usual social circle and meet new people! If there’s an activity, organization, or a club that you’ve been wanting to get involved in without a shared excitement from your friends or your significant other, participating in those can be considered a date for yourself! Not only that, but it’s a great way to get involved and invested in your own hobbies and interests while getting to meet people who share that same enthusiasm as you do. Most of us know how difficult it can be to get to know new people, especially with our secured circle around, so getting out of your comfort zone for a while can be very rewarding!
No matter how you define a solo date — whether it’s belting out the lyrics to your favorite songs in the car coming home from work, grabbing a meal, or getting involved in an activity or organization, taking yourself out can be very beneficial. In the age of self-care, we deserve some time to pamper and spoil ourselves despite that not being the social norm! We deserve a second to take our minds off our hectic lives and allow ourselves the time to focus internally and look introspectively as a way to remind ourselves that we can (and should) do more for our bodies and minds than just the bare minimum.