How To Date Yourself

What usually occurs with me, is once I get some spare/free time, I immediantely try to fill it with all the 'fun' stuff I don't normally consider doing. That doesn't always work out to my liking, so sometimes I'm left to my own devices, which can get frustrating at times. So instead of skulking and throwing away my time, I've learned how to date myself.

This may be a bit of a stretch for some, especially if you haven't had a lot of experience with dating to begin with. But trust me, it can be very rewarding if you're willing to embrace it.

Now, I'm in a long-term relationship that is very fulfilling but sometimes I find myself with an evening alone and nothing really to do. I have a couple of fall-backs that I like to call 'me-dates'. Now the trick to self dating is simple, you have to know what you like to do. It's the same when you go out with someone else, you want to do something you both enjoy. Which is why dinner and a movie are still the most common date nights out there: who doesn't like to eat and who doesn't enjoy seeing a movie, for whatever reason that is.

Here are some of my favorites.

1. Sit-down dinner At first, this one may seem pitiful and you would never, ever be seen at dinner by yourself. You have to get over what everyone else is thinking, remember, this is still a date. You're on a date with yourself. And after the nervousness of the first few times, you'll start to feel a sense of satisfaction that you took yourself out to a nice lunch or dinner and paid for it yourself from your own money. That's not something you can get from someone else.

2. Going to the Movies Once again, you're probably thinking, 'What loser goes to the movies by themselves?' Well, I've been doing it for years and love it. You can go when it's convienent for you and not someone else. You never argue over which flick to see, it's all your choice, and you don't have to worry about what you look like because it's going to be dark for two hours.

3. Personal Spa Day Now, due to financial issues, I usually partake of this date in the comforts of my own home. This is geared to the ladies, so fella's, I apologize. But there's nothing better than setting up your nail polish, foot scrub, popping in a good movie and just pampering yourself. Or maybe your favorite way to relax involves just staying in bed and that's great too. Whatever makes you happy, that's the point.

4. Do something New You can't keep doing the same things over and over again. It get's old. So every once and a while, take yourself to go do something new. Preferrably something you wouldn't normally do. You may find yourself with a new passion in life.

There you go, a decent start to your new relationship with yourself. I may come back to this at a later date, but I'm not sure yet.