Short answer: the best things to do by yourself are the ones you would happily do with a friend but no longer wait for one to do: a long walk or hike, a museum, a matinee, a café with a good book, a class, a day trip, a solo dinner at the counter. Start with low-pressure outings (a walk, a library, a market), then work up to the ones that feel bolder (a concert or a restaurant table for one). Most people enjoy solo outings far more than they expect to.
This guide lists 50 things to do by yourself, grouped by where you are and how much energy you have. Each group notes rough costs, and a comparison table shows which ideas are best for recharging and which are most likely to lead to conversation if you want that too.
Why doing things by yourself is worth it
Many people skip things they would enjoy because they have nobody to go with. Research suggests that is often a mistake. In a set of studies published in the Journal of Consumer Research, marketing researchers Rebecca Ratner and Rebecca Hamilton found that people feel inhibited from doing enjoyable, visible activities alone, mostly because they worry others will think they have no friends. Yet when people actually toured an art gallery alone, they enjoyed it about as much as people who went with company, even though they had predicted they would like it far less (University of Maryland summary).
Doing things by yourself also has practical advantages:
- You set the pace. Stay in the gallery room you love, skip the one you don’t, leave when you are done.
- You stop waiting. Plans no longer depend on four calendars lining up.
- You notice more. Without a conversation to keep up, you see the details: the light, the menu, the people around you.
- You build confidence. Each solo outing makes the next one, and walking into a group of strangers, feel easier.
If you are doing things alone because your friends have drifted or moved away, that is common too. Our guide for when you have no one to go out with covers that situation in detail. This guide focuses on making solo time good in its own right.
Things to do by yourself at home
Home days work best with a little structure. Pick one or two of these instead of drifting between screens.
- Cook something that takes all afternoon: a slow braise, fresh pasta, bread. The waiting is part of the pleasure.
- Start a one-month project with a finish line: a jigsaw, a model kit, a quilt square, a short online course.
- Read a book in one sitting. Pick something under 250 pages and switch your phone to do not disturb.
- Rearrange or refresh one room. Move the furniture, hang the prints that have been leaning on the wall for months.
- Learn ten phrases in a new language for a trip you would like to take.
- Write a letter to someone you have lost touch with. Mailing it is optional.
- Have a themed movie night for one: a director’s first three films, with snacks to match.
- Do a home spa evening: a long bath, a face mask, an early night.
- Plant something: herbs on a windowsill or bulbs in a pot for spring.
- Sort your photos and print ten favorites for a frame or an album.
Cost: mostly free or the price of ingredients and supplies. Best for low-energy days, bad weather and recharging after a busy week.
Outdoor things to do alone
Being outside is one of the easiest ways to make solo time feel full rather than empty. Trails, parks and waterfronts are places where being alone looks completely normal.
- Hike a trail you have never tried. Start with a popular, well-marked route.
- Take a sunrise or sunset walk somewhere with a view.
- Pack a picnic for one with a book or a crossword.
- Go birdwatching with a free bird ID app and a cheap pair of binoculars.
- Visit a botanical garden or arboretum. Many have free days or free entry.
- Try a photo walk: pick one theme (doors, shadows, signs) and shoot only that.
- Rent a kayak or paddleboard for an hour on a calm lake.
- Go stargazing on a clear night away from city lights.
- Visit a state or provincial park you have only driven past.
- Walk a farmers market slowly and buy one thing you have never cooked.
Cost: mostly free; rentals and park entry fees vary by location. If you would rather have company on the trail some weekends, our guide on how to find a hiking buddy lists clubs and scripts.
Things to do by yourself in the city
Cities are built for people on their own. Nobody looks twice at one person in a museum, a bookshop or a cinema.
- Spend a slow morning at a museum. Choose two rooms and really look, instead of trying to see everything.
- See a matinee. Weekday and early shows tend to be cheaper and quieter, which makes a first solo movie easier.
- Eat at a counter or bar seat. Ramen bars, diners and sushi counters are made for solo diners.
- Browse a bookstore or record shop for an hour with no goal.
- Attend a free library talk or author event.
- Take a self-guided architecture or history walk using a free map or app.
- Find a new café and work, read or write there for a morning.
- Go to a comedy open mic or a small jazz set.
- Ride a ferry, tram or scenic bus route end to end, just for the view.
- Visit a neighborhood you never go to and eat lunch wherever looks busiest.
Cost: free to moderate. Many US and Canadian museums have free or pay-what-you-wish hours; check the museum’s own site. If you love films but would sometimes like company, see our guide to finding someone to go to the movies with.
Active things to do alone
Exercise is one of the most natural solo activities, and moving your body tends to lift your mood on the days solo time feels flat.
- Swim laps at a public pool during adult swim hours.
- Take a drop-in yoga, spin or pilates class. Most people come alone.
- Go to a climbing gym and try the auto-belay or bouldering walls.
- Train for a 5K with a free couch-to-5K plan.
- Ride a bike path or a rail trail with a café at the far end.
- Hit a bucket of balls at a driving range or a few holes on a par-3 course.
- Book an ice skating or roller rink session.
- Try a dance class such as salsa or swing, where partners usually rotate, so arriving alone is normal.
- Play pinball or arcade games at a barcade.
- Bowl a few frames. Many alleys are fine with a single bowler on a lane, especially at quiet times.
Cost: free (running, paths) to a drop-in fee (classes, gyms, rinks). If you enjoy a sport alone, it is also one of the easiest ways to meet people later; see our guide to finding a cycling buddy for the same idea on two wheels.
Solo activities that can lead to company
Some things you do by yourself also put you next to the same people week after week. That repetition is how acquaintances form, without anyone having to set up a plan. Try these when you want your alone time to open a door.
- Join a weekly run or walking club. You arrive alone; by week four people know your name.
- Volunteer a regular shift at a food bank, animal shelter or park cleanup.
- Take a multi-week class: pottery, improv, cooking, a language.
- Go to the same trivia night and ask to join a team that is short a player.
- Join a community garden plot.
- Sing in a community choir (many do not require auditions).
- Attend a board game café’s open game night.
- Become a regular at one café or bar at the same time each week.
- Join a book club at your library or local bookstore.
- Take a group day tour or guided hike where everyone starts as a stranger.
Our list of hobbies to meet new people goes deeper on which activities lead to friendships fastest, and our guide to finding a third place explains why being a regular somewhere matters.
Comparison table: which solo idea fits your day
| Idea | Typical cost | Energy needed | Best for | Chance of conversation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long walk or hike | Free | Medium | Clearing your head | Low |
| Museum or gallery | Free to moderate | Low | A slow, absorbing morning | Low |
| Matinee movie | Low to moderate | Low | A first solo outing | Very low |
| Counter-seat dinner | Moderate | Low to medium | Treating yourself | Medium (bartender, neighbors) |
| Drop-in fitness class | Drop-in fee | High | Mood boost | Low to medium |
| Library talk or event | Usually free | Low | Learning something | Medium |
| Weekly run or walking club | Usually free | Medium to high | Meeting people gradually | High |
| Volunteer shift | Free | Medium | Feeling useful | High |
| Multi-week class | Paid | Medium | A skill plus familiar faces | High |
| Day trip | Moderate | Medium | A reset and a change of scene | Low |
A simple rule: use the low-conversation ideas when you want to recharge and the high-conversation ones when you want company to grow out of your routine.
How to feel less awkward doing things alone
The awkwardness of doing things by yourself is mostly in your head, and it fades with practice. A few tricks help:
- Give yourself a small job. Sketching, taking photos, reading or writing makes you look and feel purposeful. Ratner and Hamilton found that making an activity feel more purposeful, or having fewer people watching, raised people’s interest in going alone.
- Start at quiet times. A Tuesday matinee or a weekday-morning museum has fewer people around.
- Pick the right seat. Counters, bars and window seats are built for one; a four-top in the middle of a busy room is harder.
- Keep the first outing short. One hour at a café is a win. Next time stay longer or go somewhere bolder.
- Remember the spotlight effect. People tend to overestimate how much others notice them. Most diners are focused on their own table.
- Talk to staff. Asking a bartender for a recommendation or a museum guard about a painting is low-stakes conversation practice.
- Plan a reward. A favorite pastry after the solo dinner, a call to a friend on the way home.
If you want to go from solo outings to meeting people, our guide on how to put yourself out there covers the next step.
Safety for solo outings
Most solo outings are uneventful in the best way. A few habits keep it that way:
- Tell someone your plan for hikes, paddling and evenings out, including when you expect to be back.
- Stay in public, well-used places when you are new to an area, and choose popular trails over remote ones.
- Have your own way home and keep your phone charged.
- Check weather and trail conditions before outdoor trips, and carry water.
- Leave whenever you feel uncomfortable. You never owe anyone an explanation.
When time alone starts to feel lonely
Time by yourself is healthy when you choose it and come back feeling restored (our guide to being alone vs being lonely explains the research). It is different when you are alone because you feel you have no other option, and the quiet leaves you feeling worse. If that sounds familiar, the ideas in the “can lead to company” section above are a good start, and our explainer on social isolation vs loneliness explains the difference.
If loneliness comes with persistent sadness, hopelessness, changes in sleep or appetite, or trouble getting through the day, talk to a doctor, therapist or counselor. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, in the US, or call or text 9-8-8 in Canada (988.ca). In an emergency, call 911.
Want to turn a solo outing into a shared one now and then? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins from the short notes people send. It is live on the web, starting with plans in Malta: Open MeetNow and see the plans in Malta.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What are good things to do by yourself?
Good things to do by yourself include a long walk or hike, a museum or gallery visit, a matinee, reading at a café, a class or workshop, cooking a new recipe, a day trip, volunteering and a solo dinner at a counter seat. Pick one thing you would enjoy with a friend and try it alone first.
Is it weird to do things by yourself?
No. Research by Ratner and Hamilton found people expect to enjoy activities like a gallery visit less when they go alone, but people who actually went alone enjoyed it about as much as people who went with company. Most strangers are paying far less attention to you than you think.
What can I do by myself on a weekend with no money?
Free options include a hike or long walk, a library visit or library event, a free museum day, a farmers market, a park picnic, a self-guided architecture walk, a volunteer shift, a free outdoor concert and a home project like cooking from what is already in your kitchen.
How do I enjoy being by myself in public?
Give yourself a small job, such as sketching, taking photos or reading, choose a seat at a counter or bar, go at quieter times first, and keep the outing short at the start. Each solo outing makes the next one feel more normal.
Can doing things by yourself help you make friends?
Yes, if you choose activities that repeat. A weekly class, run club, volunteer shift or trivia night lets you show up alone and see the same faces again, which is how acquaintances form. One-off outings are relaxing; recurring ones are social.
When does spending time alone become a problem?
Time alone is healthy when you choose it and feel restored. If it leaves you persistently sad, hopeless or cut off, or you avoid people because it feels unbearable, talk to a doctor or counselor. In the US or Canada you can call or text 988 if you are in crisis.
Featured image: a dirt track curving through a golden autumn field with scattered trees, photo by Daniel Skorodjelow, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
