Date Yourself Instead: 100 Self Date Ideas

Hi babes! Welcome back to my monthly blog, Moments w/ Millie. Thank you so much for being here! On my instagram @milliexthelabel I asked you what this month's blog article should be about and the majority of you voted for solo date ideas! Going on solo dates is something I am very passionate about. Spending time alone can be really hard and through dating myself I've been able to not only bear it but adore it! However, enjoying my own company was not always this easy for me.

In February of 2023, I went through a difficult breakup, I had expected to spend the next several years if not more with this person and because of that had become very accustomed to spending lots of time with them, and if I'm being honest with myself, somewhat codependent. After this breakup I found it hard to even go to the gym by myself. In addition to the painful breakup emotions, I felt like the progress I had worked so hard to make in the past was wasted. I wish I could tell that younger version of myself it gets SO much better! And that in only a year and a half she would move ACROSS THE COUNTRY by herself.

When I first moved to Miami, Florida from Columbus, Ohio I only knew one person here. Needless to say, over the past 4 months I have become somewhat of a master of self dates. Being comfortable with spending time alone has allowed me to explore and appreciate my new city, gain confidence, and get to know myself better. 

Without further ado... here are 100 self-date ideas for you to try!

1. Play a pickup sports game like sand volleyball, basketball, or soccer
2. Explore a new coffee shop or an old favorite
3. Read somewhere scenic: the beach, on a soft grassy hill, in a tree
4. Longboard, roller skate, or skateboard
5. Go on an outdoor walk and listen to a podcast or audiobook
6. Take yourself out to dinner and don’t spend the whole time on your phone
7. Go to a bar by yourself and strike up a conversation with the bartender
8. Go on a bike ride
9. Make your own floral arrangement (I like to buy several different flowers from Trader Joe’s and arrange them all together)
10. Shopping or thrifting
11. Scrapbooking
12. Visit a cute bookstore
13. See a movie (bonus points if it’s a sequel to one you loved as a child)
14. Explore an art museum
15. Go to the beach or lake
16. Climb a tree and etch your initials in it
17. Go to a local park and people watch
18. Farmer’s market
19. Go to Michael’s and buy supplies to make your own jewelry
20. Paint a canvas
21. Take a dance class
22. Take a pottery class
23. Have a picnic on the beach or in a park
24. Go apple picking (or whatever fruit is local to you)
25. Take a walk and pick flowers
26. Go to a baseball game
27. Get a facial
28. Get your nails done
29. Make a charcuterie board
30. Learn to make one of your favorite cocktails or mocktails
31. Cook something new and plate it aesthetically
32. Make a candle (bonus points if you go to goodwill and get a cute dish to pour it in)
33. Pick a statement piece in your closet and find 5 new ways to style it
34. Buy a new plant and name it (bonus points if you make a little sign with its new name to stick in the soil)
35. Buy a seasonal candle and light it while watching a seasonal movie (for example: light a pumpkin spice candle and watch Halloweentown OR light a twisted peppermint candle and watch Elf!)
36. Rearrange your bedroom
37. At home spa night: take a hot bath, light a candle, drink tea, use a bath bomb, exfoliate, and do a hair mask
38. Watch a documentary about something that interests you
39. Go to a shelter and play with the animals
40. Make a vision board
41. Look at apartments online in your dream city
42. Find a makeup look or hairstyle on Pinterest and recreate it
43. Go outside and take aesthetic pictures of what you see
44. Visit a botanical garden
45. Find a prompt and do 15-30 minutes of creative writing
46. Take a yoga class
47. Color in a coloring book
48. Do a paint by number
49. Plan a weekend trip to a new city
50. Listen to live music
51. Watch the sunrise from a rooftop
52. Do a themed photoshoot
53. Be a tourist in your own city
54. Take a cooking class
55. Go horseback riding
56. Get a massage
57. Take a hike
58. Try a new workout class (spin, pilates, zumba, cycling)
59. Buy a new journal and start writing in it
60. Bake a dessert
61. Have a movie night at home with popcorn and candy!
62. Make yourself a gift basket of all of your favorite things
63. Volunteer for a cause you care about
64. If you play an instrument, learn a new song!
65. Write yourself a letter to open one year from now
66. Go to a musical or play
67. Kayaking or paddle-boarding
68. Go to a comedy show
69. Plan a roadtrip
70. Go to a self-care retreat
71. Make a blanket fort in your living room and watch a Disney movie
72. Do an escape room
73. Do a guided meditation
74. Wine tasting
75. Solo camping trip
76. Go to the zoo or aquarium
77. Go to an amusement park
78. Ride the Ferris wheel at your county or state fair
79. Swing at a playground
80. Take yourself to get ice cream or fro-yo!
81. Write a sweet letter to a friend or family member and decorate it with stickers and doodles
82. Make a bookmark
83. Buy a cute stuffed animal
84. Get a professional color analysis
85. Knit or crochet something
86. Stargazing
87. Drive-in movie theatre
88. Do a puzzle
89. Make a time capsule
90. Geocaching
91. Create a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood and leave little clues all around for someone to find
92. Visit a historical landmark
93. Make a list of things you can find in your city and go on a scavenger hunt to take photos of every thing on the list
94. Look for sea glass or seashells on the beach or fossils in a creek
95. Plant something in a community garden
96. Go to an arcade
97. Make a short film using aesthetic videos in your camera roll
98. Learn origami
99. Spend the night at a local bed & breakfast
100. Hammock somewhere scenic

I hope you babes try out some of these date ideas for yourselves. If you do, DM me on Instagram and tell me how it went! Also, don't forget the Persephone Collection launches this Friday at midnight EST and the Artemis Collection launches one week later on the 8th. Have a Happy Halloween! See you all next month :)

xoxo, Millie