Solo Dates for Self-Care

For the first time (in a very long time) I decided to take myself out on a solo date. Actually, as I am typing this I’m sitting in my seat at the restaurant. I have a list of things on my “to-do’s” but I wanted to change up my environment to really dig deep, get some inspiration and cross these tasks off of my list. Growing up as an only child it was always easy for me to do things alone but that is what I was used to. As I grew older I learned that being alone all the time couldn’t be that healthy, so I started to become more involved in doing things with close friends and family. But doing so, I realized that if you can’t handle being by yourself and being your best company - then chile, it’s going to be a long learning journey for you. Solo dates can be so good for the soul. It recharges you and gives you the ability to listen to your own thoughts without anyone judging, cutting you off, dismissing your conversation or just flat out not listening. Here are some tips I recommend in finding the perfect place for a solo date:

- Support local (small) businesses instead of chain restaurants. They are more appreciative of your service, their food is made with love and the ambiance is probably way less nosy and not filled with so much foot traffic.  

 - Bring a notepad and pen. Certain environments can bring out different feelings for you and it’s critical to live in those moments, document them and just see where your pen takes you.

 - Bring headphones. You can tune out unnecessary convos around you and instead listen to your favorite song, podcast or put netflix on.

 - If you’re bringing your laptop make sure it is fully charged just in case you don’t have access to a plug. (If you plan on using your laptop make sure the place you are going to has wifi).

 Lastly, live in the moment. Solo dates are meant to be fun and it is a great form of self-care.