Ever Taken a Solo Date? Here are My 5 Favorites

Three hours of free time have just “fallen” into your lap. What would you do?

This happened to me last Friday and my first thought was, “A movie is an option, but there’s nothing I really want to see.” After sitting on the couch reflecting for a bit on what I truly need, it came to me.  A walk around the nearby lake (I love turtle watching) and a peach/mango smoothie from the local food co-op, yes!

While there’s nothing wrong with going shopping or catching a flick, I challenge you to think about what would really nourish—and sustain you—when you get precious time alone (think: a handful of potato chips vs. black beans and rice).

Most of us are moving so fast we’re disconnected from our true needs and desires.  In fact, mental health professionals believe this “disconnect from self” is the root cause of depression and anxiety for women. While solo dates may feel weird if they’re new, they’re ideal opportunities to slow down and reconnect with your inner world and what matters most (check out these three tips for help).

The next time you find an unscheduled expanse of alone time, consider the following soul-nurturing ideas.

My five favorite self-care solo dates:

• BEAUTY DATE:  Pack a delicious picnic and visit your local botanical, wildflower or sculpture gardens. Enjoy a leisurely lunch on a blanket while soaking in the fragrance from the flowers.
• MOVEMENT DATE: Try a new dance or yoga class and enjoy working up a sweat; then treat yourself to an exotic fruit smoothie or an iced hibiscus rose tea. 
• NATURE DATE: Enjoy a dip (or a cold plunge) at a nearby spring-fed pool, river or lake, then relax on a blanket for some lazy cloud gazing. Pick up some macadamia nuts and dried apricots beforehand for a snack. 
• CULTURE DATE: Explore your local museum or an interesting gallery exhibit, then discover a new ethnic restaurant.
• JOURNALING DATE: Browse your local independent bookstore, pick out a beautiful, inspiring journal and head to a new coffee shop to reflect/write on what you’re grateful for (try the Quickie Journaling exercise I mentioned above).

Mother’s Day is this Sunday (and regardless of whether you’ve given birth or not, we’re all “mothering”). This week when contemplating what you’d most like to do, I challenge you to consider what would feel absolutely nurturing and delightful (if you live in my hometown in NC, join us this Thur. for a free mini retreat or this Sunday for a special dance class). Perhaps what you most desire is some time alone?

You can find more of my favorite solo dates, exercises for reconnecting with who you are and suggested mini-retreats in my award-winning self-care primer (order a hard copy or download the ebook from my site), The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. And, from our archives, check out my TV interview for additional ideas on solo dates.  Drop me a line, I’d love to hear how it goes!  

Warmly–

FOUR WAYS TO HELP YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR SELF-CARE:

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• June 21st, 1-7 p.m. ~ Summer Solstice, Full Moon Self-Renewal Retreat, On Lake Jocassee, South Carolina (one hour from Brevard, NC). Details coming; size is very limited. Email info@reneetrudeau.com to receive an invitation. Details coming!
• October 25 – 27th ~ Soul Tending: Cultivating Grace, Power and Intuition ~ A Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (Berkshire Mountains, Western MA). Join me for replenishing rest, divine natural foods cuisine, song/movement, restorative yoga and more. Packages start at just $635 for this deeply supportive, soul-nurturing weekend. Learn more and register.

Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by self-care coach/author/speaker and catalyst Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, Yoga Journal, AARP Magazine, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of two books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. She and her husband live in Western North Carolina and their son is a senior in college; her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.