Have you ever considered taking yourself out on a solo date? No friends, no partner, no family members. Just you and your own company.
If that sounds intimidating to you, that’s totally normal. It’s hard to think about going out to dinner, a movie or some other fun activity by yourself. But there are so many benefits to learning to enjoy your own company and treating yourself every once in a while.
Why Would I Take Myself Out On A Date?
You might be thinking, “why would I take myself out on a date when I have a partner or someone else to take me?” The answer is, it’s an important form of self-care! Here are a few reasons why it’s beneficial for your overall well-being.
1. You can learn to enjoy your own company
Enjoying your own company is an amazing method of self-exploration. You’d be surprised by the number of things that you didn’t previously realize about yourself until you take the time to think about it. It can help you better get to know the things that you enjoy, things that make you happy, or even things that you don’t like so much.
This gives you the opportunity to carry the things that you learn about yourself into your relationships with others. You also get to do the things that interest you without worrying about any judgement from anyone else. Whether it’s a current hobby or something new that you’d like to try, this can have a positive impact on your overall satisfaction with life and your mental health.
2. You can treat yourself without expecting or relying on someone else to treat you
Why wait for someone else to take you out to dinner or buy you flowers when you can do it for yourself? If it makes you happy seeing a pretty bouquet of flowers on your kitchen counter, go to the store and buy one! You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to do the things that bring you joy, no matter how big or small.
You deserve to spoil yourself if it makes you feel good inside! If you’ve been working hard at your job lately and feel you deserve a nice dinner out instead of cooking, go to your favorite restaurant and order your favorite dish. If you’ve been eyeing a new piece of clothing, go buy it if it makes you feel sexy, cute or confident.
3. You can become better in tune with yourself and make time for self-reflection
Improving your relationship with yourself can help improve your life in so many ways! Your mental, emotional and physical health can all be affected based on the way that you treat and see yourself. Just like any relationship in your life, if you’re not putting in the effort to have a positive relationship with yourself then it won’t thrive.
Having a positive relationship with ourselves can improve or benefit our relationships with others as well. Something you can try to practice to become better in tune with yourself is to journal. A simple way to start is to take a few minutes each day to write about how you’re feeling in that moment.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with work and need a moment to center yourself? Are you excited and looking forward to something fun at the end of your day? Keeping in tune with how we’re feeling everyday is a great way to observe what you may want to differently in your life moving forward or even show gratitude for the things you are appreciative of.
Why Is Self-Care So Important?
Self-care comes in many forms and looks different for everybody. You might prefer taking a candlelit bubble bath with soft music, while someone else enjoys taking a walk through a park, exercising, eating nutritious foods or mediating in a quiet space. The best part is, self-care can be literally anything you want it to be as long as it’s something YOU enjoy and find beneficial for your well-being.
It’s easy to experience stress or overwhelm in the hectic, fast-paced world that we live in today. Self-care helps take that stress off of our minds and out of our bodies. There has been research suggesting that psychological stress can lead to higher mortality rates.
This is why it’s so important to have effective methods of self-care that are stress-relieving, enjoyable and beneficial for your overall well-being. Having different forms of self-care that cater to all areas of your health including mental, physical and emotional is essential to be the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.
Focusing on self-care allows us to be mindful of our own needs and listen to our bodies. Eating well and moving your body is not only a great way to stay in shape, but has amazing, positive effects on your physical health. Practicing yoga, meditation or journaling can positively impact your mental and emotional well-being, which can help with things like anxiety or depression.
It’s really amazing when we can do things we love or enjoy and see the results physically, mentally and emotionally. This provides overall satisfaction with life in general. Good energy is contagious, and the way that you treat yourself can very well influence what the people around you do too.
Final Thoughts
No one knows you better than you know yourself. The way you see, treat and talk to yourself matters a lot and can affect every aspect of your life. Taking time to prioritize YOU is the best thing that you can do for yourself.
So go and take yourself out on a date and thank me later! Go mini golfing, shop for a new skin care routine, see a movie, take a cooking class, or maybe learn a new skill. The possibilities are endless.