Self Nurturing Tips

Go to a book store and get lost. Spend hours exploring every genre of book known to the world. Better still, snag one off the shelf and plop down in a comfy chair. Close down the store trying to finish that book (hey, you’ll save some cash), and leave only when the employees start giving you the side-eye.

Take yourself on a dinner date. Bring along a book that you can’t put down, and immerse yourself in good eats and good reads — really, what’s better than that? Try to resist the urge to look at your phone and take your time as you enjoy ordering anything you want without anyone else asking for a bite.

Travel somewhere new. When you travel with other people, you always end up making compromises on what sights to see, where to eat, and what activities to do. Travelling alone — even if it’s just to the next town over — gives you the luxury of going at your own pace so that you’re able to soak up everything about the trip that you want to.

Go to a daytime screening of a sad or embarrassingly bad movie. Feel no shame as you cry or swoon alone in the corner. Who cares? No one is there to see you!

Get experimental in the kitchen. If you try out new recipes on your own and mess up, the only hungry, disappointed person you have to deal with is yourself. You can work on perfecting the dish until it’s just right — then serve up a flawless result the next time you’re with friends, and act like it was your first try.

Challenge your mind. Complete a crossword, sudoku, or, if you’re feeling ambitious, a Rubik’s Cube. If you finish them all by yourself, you get total bragging rights instead of having to share them with a partner.

Complete a project you’ve been putting off. Make yourself go to a coffee shop, buckle down, and work. Update your resume, put together a portfolio, finish your novel, apply to a new job or course, whatever. Just do it!

Sing karaoke. Be bold! Pick a spot you never go to (that way you won’t miss it if you can’t show your face there again), and sing your heart out to a bunch of strangers. If you can do this, you can do pretty much anything.

Indulge in some selfies. OK, as a general rule selfies should probably be taken sparingly, but every once in a while, it’s healthy to get dressed in an outfit you love and shamelessly take photos of yourself that you actually like. Let yourself keep clicking until you get it right. No one is there to judge you, except maybe your dog.

Go to a free concert. Find a band that you like playing in your area, or seek out someone new with a sound you like. You never know — they may be the next big thing, and you found them first. When you go to a concert alone, you spend more time listening to the music and less time worrying about everything else going on around you.

People watch. Go to a public place, like a park or a shopping centre, sit back, and enjoy the show. People watching is always interesting, often hilarious, sometimes sweet, and every once in a while, it can even make you give some of the stuff you do a second thought, too.

Go shopping. Sometimes when you’re on a shopping mission, having other people with you can slow you down or make you feel rushed. It’s the worst when you’re trying to be thorough to find the best deal or the perfect pair of jeans, while the person you’re with is tapping their foot by the door.