Issue #109: How to spend a (mostly) solo weekend

Advice, tips and 16+ pieces of inspiration – plus a detailed schedule of what I did during mine.

I spent most of last weekend alone – and I loved it. It was the most nourishing, calm period I’ve had in a long time. I emerged feeling like I’d spent two days with a caring close friend: someone who paid attention to my needs, championed me and felt excited about my future.

But it didn’t happen by magic. I was, to put it lightly, out of practice. After a series of weekends away with friends, together with a busier-than-usual social schedule, facing a weekend with next to no plans felt daunting.

I’m also an extrovert. That’s why I’ve long championed alone time as something best enjoyed in moderation, like a slow Saturday morning, reserving a few weekday evenings to yourself, or a solo(ish) holiday with guaranteed social activities planned along the way. Or else prioritising solitary activities (reading is my personal favourite) which aid reflection and decompression. A little goes a long way. But when the balance is way off kilter? That’s a challenge for me.

I found myself ruminating on questions, such as: Would I – as an extrovert – feel demotivated without my social ‘fix’? How would I structure my time, if I wasn’t rushing off to see someone?

(If you read this headline thinking, ‘A solo weekend without plans sound like heaven, how is this even a question?!’, then i. you are my idol please teach me your ways and ii. maybe this isn’t the guide you need. That said, if any of what I’ve written resonated – please, read on, my friend!)

The spoiler was in the first line: I had the ultimate weekend for one. Seriously. Like, 10/10, no notes. The next time a weekend sans social arrangements rolls around, I’ll be looking to recreate almost everything I did.

Read on for:

• My five best actionable pieces of advice on how to master the art of solo weekend

• A detailed schedule of everything I got up to last Saturday and Sunday

• 16+ pieces of solo-time inspiration

• Behind-the-scenes snaps from my various solo escapades