So many of us save the best restaurants and our prettiest dresses for when we have a date with our potential boyfriends or our spouses.

It’s as if we’re saying, “I’m not good enough for lovely things unless I am desired by another human being.”

When pondering why I was so quick to fill my time with others (guilt and fear of loneliness), it occurred to me that if we can’t stand to be alone with ourselves, how can we truly believe we are with another for all the right reasons?

If we spend some time alone discovering what fascinating creatures we are, our expectations of how others treat us might be higher. Perhaps, we just might fall in love with ourselves again.

I’ve recently committed myself to being unapologetically selfish about my alone time. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and treating myself the way I want to be treated by others. I’m learning to love being with my own company. I’m embracing my one-woman love affair and indulging in self-dates.

If you want to, too, here are some ways to wow your date:

Get out of those sweats and put on a pretty outfit. Treat yourself to take out and a glass of the good wine. (Yes, the bottle you’ve been saving for an important occasion. That one.)

Go for a walk or a hike. Unplug and enjoy the scenery. Let nature inspire your thoughts. Pay attention to what thoughts need your attention and nurture them. When I first hiked alone I found the silence uncomfortable, but it didn’t take long to turn into sanctity.

Take a bubble bath. Indulge in your favorite oils and salts. Light candles. Add rose petals to the water. Romance yourself.

Buy yourself a toy. Yes…one of those! Explore your body. Take your time. Be utterly selfish. It took me a long time to learn my body and feel comfortable receiving pleasure. I struggled not to judge my fleshy bits and sensations. Let your insecurities go and enjoy the “O!”

Make a yoga date. Take a private session or go to a class. Lay in Savasana out on your deck. Downward dog in your living room. This moment is yours.

Rent a convertible. Drive to an open field. Gaze at the stars and the moon. Send wishes out to the universe. Release what you need to. Humanity has a way of kicking the sh*t out of us sometimes. Laying in the dark, staring up at the sky has a way of cleansing my doubts and fears. I always feel rejuvenated after this excursion.

Have a dance party in your bedroom. Shake your booty, lip-sync to Madonna, jump on the bed. Be silly. This is me at my core. This is the type of person I want to date.

Sign up for an art class or studio time. Create, Paint. Sculpt. Try something you haven’t done before. Resist the urge to be perfect. I struggle with this one, but it’s an exercise in loss of control I need and I can’t think of much better ways to practice.

Make a date with the bookstore or your kindle. Don’t just fit it in. Carve out time and lose yourself in the story.

Take a vacation. Go to Paris for a week or a yurt in North Carolina or a fancy hotel in the city. It’s completely up to you. I used to save all my vacations for “when I have a man” or “when he has time off.” I never went anywhere! Carpe Diem!

Play in the ocean. Let the waves crash around you. Be a mermaid. Be whoever you want to be.

Attend a whiskey tasting. Learn to like the sting going down. There’s something sexy and masculine about drinking whiskey. It makes me feel tough and capable. This is a bold choice.

Go to the opera, a play or Broadway. The choice is 100% yours!

Take a belly dance class. Discover your sacred feminine. I struggle with finding mine sometimes. It’s easy to lose sight of our own radiance. I know I’m not the most graceful, but when I shimmy I feel every bit a Goddess!

Plant a garden or pot some herbs for your kitchen. Become one with Mother Earth.

Treat yourself to fancy dinner out. This was a tough one for me. I was certain everyone was wondering about the loser eating alone. I soon realized that they weren’t paying attention to me, they were appreciating the ambience and flavors just as I should be doing.

Book a pin-up or boudoir photo shoot. You are gorgeous. Shower yourself with compliments. It occurs to me that I too often rely on reassurance from a man to feel my sexy mojo. My pin-up shoot definitely helped embrace my sexy and gave me the opportunity to reassure myself instead of relying on someone else to do it for me.

Go to the orchard and collect apples. Use Grandma’s recipe and bake a pie with love. Eat it without judgment.

Participate in an improv class. Attending improv classes was one of the most liberating experiences I have had. I blushed when I went on stage, found myself tongue-tied often and laughed myself into belly-aches routinely.

Go to the Farmer’s Market. Buy yourself flowers. Do it every single week.

Go on a road trip. Drive 60 miles or 600. Stop when you want to. Don’t be afraid to get lost. You’ll find your way back. When I feel the need to process and escape for a while, a road trip is always my first choice.

See a psychic or fortune teller. Have your tarot cards read. You don’t have to be a believer, but you may just end up surprised.

Go to a concert. Dance your *ss off. Sing. Lose your voice.

Lay in the crisp, green grass. Spread a blanket and enjoy the goods in your picnic basket. Read or listen to music. Relax.

Be naked. I’ve never been comfortable being naked, but I figured if I’m going to date myself I better get used to it. What really helped me? Naked yoga!

Cook yourself a fancy meal. Use the good china. Sit at the dining room table. Savor every delicious bite.

Stay up all night. Binge on Netflix. Build a blanket fort. Enjoy your playful self.

Go skydiving. Drive a go-cart. Zip on a line. Do whatever makes your heart race and gets your adrenaline pumping. You are fearless.

Do whatever the hell you want even if that means doing nothing at all.

No matter what you decide to do, do it knowing that without a doubt you are absolutely loved.

~

Relephant Read: 

Confessions of a Love Addict.

 

~

Author: Kelly Chesney 

Editor: Caroline Beaton

Image: Studio tdes/Flickr & Pixabay