How Do You Spend Alone Time?

When I have time alone, I read, do genealogy research, take computer classes on line or at the Apple store or start small reorganization projects around the house. I do like to feel that I have accomplished something. I also use the time to catch up with old friends on the phone or make a date for coffee or lunch, so I have something to look forward to. I do try to include some physical activity - like a longer trip to the gym or a brisk walk. Good luck!

When I had my first child my husband told me to find a hobby. My hobby has ended up enriching my life more than I ever could have imagined. Perhaps you could find a hobby and in the process find something that you are truly passionate about too. Good luck😊.

I use my time to relax. My daughter is (20) in college and lives in her condo about 20 minutes away.

My husband spends a few nights a month in the road with our company. We work together 24/7. He is the sales, consultant, negotiator. I am everything financial with bookkeeping, IRS, traffic, travel management. Daughter is shadowing both of us in spare time learning our business. We're in plastics distribution, consulting and deal with manufacturers.

I love my breaks at home alone to sip my favorite wine, eat what I like to eat ( dishes I love but he hates), watch my favorite tv shows, organize my pantry, work and organize in my office, do my housework, clean out things for Goodwill and/or women's shelter ( hubby hates throwing anything out, lol. I exercise my mind and body. I enjoy my 2 dogs.

My daughter moved a 1.5 yrs ago and I'm redoing the upstairs where she occupied and controlled from age 5. I'm revamping the 1700 sf or so to be more conducive for guests and hubby's home office upstairs. I office downstairs in the MIL suite.

I also plan my time for lunch and shopping with my daughter, go visit her in her condo and play with her cat ( hubby hates cats ) I swear she has a true cat dog..... I've never seen a cat act more like a dog in my life!

I lunch with friends, get my hair done, get a facial and have pamper me time.

Before we had daughter, hubby was on the road 2-4 nights a week. We adjusted to this schedule well. As daughter grew up he was on the road a lot and we had a lot of mom/daughter time that we treasure. It has been an adjustment fur me and him to be home more because we're both set in our routines.

We keep the big picture in mind... Our family. We still have date nights weekly except now that daughter has moved out its more often!!

I want to relax when I get me time but I also am
Productive!

I have taken mini vacations to the beach alone and loved every minute of it. I came home recharged!!

The sky (and your budget) is the limit.
Learn to knit, take a cooking class, bowl, read a book, see a movie, go to the gym.
Years ago I took a stained glass class and learned to make lamps and sun catchers.
I also took a basket weaving class.
You can join a range and learn to shoot - pistol, rifle and/or archery.
You can interior decorate or plan out landscaping changes for the spring/summer.
Plan a vegetable garden (it doesn't have to be big).
Someone in our neighborhood has learned to fly paragliders - we see him/her fly over the soybean fields all the time.
You can build jigsaw puzzles or play World of Warcraft (I'm saving that for later when I'm retired and can't do much else).
Really there's almost too many choices!

My favorite alone/kid free activities:
reading, napping, taking a long hot bath, going to a yoga class, perusing bookstores, walking around the city (people watching, window shopping, getting a fancy coffee or cocktail) walking a local trail with camera in hand/taking photos, going to antique stores and flea markets, splurging on a pedicure, spending time with my sister/girlfriends (movies, food, drinks, walking, shopping) reorganizing my house (yes I actually enjoy this) taking care of my plants/flowers, wasting time on Pinterest, catching up on TV shows I've recorded, maybe while giving myself a home facial/masque treatment.

julie S made me giggle. i love bubble baths (have one every night) and fairy dust, AND i love judge judy!
i think the best thing to do is to have a couple of go-to things that you know you love to do, but to keep it open. my favorite days are totally unstructured, so i can be efficient and brisk if i want to, or slug out if that's what i'm craving. a really perfect day for me involves a run (so i feel both healthy and virtuous), writing (so i know i'm on track for my Prime Directive), getting something accomplished around the house (not a housework gal, but again it makes me feel virtuous) and then either sitting outside with a book, or flopping on the couch with something awesome to watch like walking dead or top chef or game of thrones.
it pretty much always involves not seeing or talking to other humans.
:) khairete
S.

It depends on whether you mean "really alone time" or "kid-free time".

For really alone time, I used to take long days "off" while my husband handled preschool pick up/lunch/nap, and I went shopping (or even window shopping) in the morning, especially to try on clothes I really wasn't planning to buy - this contrasted with the "I need something for a wedding and I have to be incredibly efficient and only try on what's appropriate for that occasion" attitude that usually possessed me! I loved going to movies alone - 12:30 show with 3 senior citizens, and I'd either honest-go-God splurge on movie popcorn with no guilt (no one to see me), or I'd go rogue and smuggle in a nice sandwich from the sandwich shop. I would enjoy this in peace, and since I wasn't sitting near anyone who would be annoyed by the wrapper sounds, I really reveled in it, being able to enjoy a sandwich slowly instead of in the fast food environment even of decent sandwich shops. Or, I would take myself out to lunch with a good book or a book of favorite puzzles, sit in a quiet corner, and maybe even have a glass of wine and an unhurried meal. I also went furniture shopping, dreaming of what I would buy when my son was past the age of crayons and muddy shoes. A spa day and a really nice deep tissue massage worked too!

You might also think of a ladies' night - get a couple of movies or check out Netflix, make popcorn and appetizers, and have a "stay in" movie night. My recently single girlfriend who just turned 50 had about 12 of us over for her 50th bday party, which was pot luck "heavy appetizers" and then crafts. We painted wine glasses (she had paints, stencils, glasses), made bracelets (different ways of braiding zippers, believe it or not), and make-your-own lip gloss. The 3 stations were set up and you could do whatever you wanted, taking time to visit the food table whenever you wished. She even had aprons made for us that had her name and "50 and fabulous" embroidered on them. Some women slept over but most just enjoyed a fun night - and many were married with kids, so they left the kids home with Dad for their own bonding night. So don't be afraid to invite your women friends regardless of status.

Country line dancing isn't my thing, but I definitely have a group of friends who love to go out and do that for a lot of laughs. Going in a group for an activity takes away the "night in a bar" jitters if you don't feel like being hit on by men. Another group goes to a local tavern for Irish music and low cost appetizers.

A weekend is plenty of time to do some home improvement if you are so inclined - paint the kitchen or a bathroom, put up new curtains, etc. You can paint one day, let it dry overnight, then do the second coat and the trim the next day. A friend and I worked together - one time we did my house, another time we did her house. It was fun to do it with company for chatting and distraction, but also to have someone hold the ladder and hand me the nails and hardware so I didn't have to climb down every time. This kind of stuff helps you feel accomplished and not like you were "wasting time" - although I think a "day for me" is not a waste at all.

So I'd say to mix it up - one weekend for "just you" and another to "get accomplished" would make a nice month of fun for you!

Depends what YOU like to do/think is fun.
Here are some things I like to do when I have alone time (either for fun or practicality):

Shop
Cook
Read
Go to the movies
Hit the gym
Take a walk at the park
Visit my mom
Purge stuff from drawers/closets
REALLY clean
Get my nails done or do them myself
Get laundry caught up--wash all the stuff that takes time to get to/do (comforters/shower curtain & liner, curtains, rugs)

Here are things I do when I get a day to myself:
Grocery shopping and chores (boring! But so much easier with kids gone)
Go swimming and work out at the rec center.
Yoga class
Bike over to the yoga class (luxury!)
Go with a friend out for a coffee after the yoga class (double luxury!!)
Pick an all day hike and go with a friend and my dog. I love to pick a long hike to get to the top of a mountain. Or in the winter I love to cross-country ski a long trail.
Get a friend to go on a long bike ride with me - stop somewhere nice for lunch.
Get some work done on my laptop (I have a writing job which is much easier with no kids around).
Go to the theatre
Go hear some live music (I miss the days of being able to go see/hear culture whenever I wanted)
Go to an art museum to get inspired.
Start on a new art project!

Things I do when I have time to myself:
-get a pedicure
-meet a friend for lunch
-go shopping
-drive to the beach for a few hours

Ideas for you:
-check out a new park close by
-get a pedi/mani
-go shopping
-treat yourself to a nice lunch or dinner
-pick up a new hobby
-take a class (something you've always been interested in but never
looked into).
-take up a new hobby
-take tennis lessons
-take a one day cooking class

Some things I like to do when I am alone:

I like to book an appointment for a massage at a spa. I bring a good book and spend some time before and after my massage in the steam room, mineral pool or in the relaxation rooms.

I like to go thrift store shopping as it is easier to browse alone.

I like to go out for lunch at an expensive restaurant, because it isn't so expensive if I'm not paying for the rest of the family.

I like to drink wine and watch movies at home, but I am never at home alone.

Anything that would otherwise require hiring a babysitter...

My youngest is 13 so even when my kids are here, they aren't really around. I always think it is funny when young moms dream of bubble baths and fairy dust. I have all the time in the world when I am not at work, I watch Judge Judy.

I am not saying don't go for a bubble bath but for crying out loud, don't go for a bubble bath because it sounds justifiable.

Sure my kids laugh at me when they walk in and I am all, look, do you see her talking right there? Shhhhhhh

I guess I am just saying when you set your mind to things that sound good you won't end up satisfied and then you have to clean up whatever you did.

Sign up for meetup.com. There are tons of groups to meet-up with. everything from walking and hiking groups to book groups to dance to religion. When you select your interests meet-up sends you invites to join groups. You can join or not you can attend all or none of the meet-ups. It's up to you. Meet-up is free to join and only costs if there is a fee for the meet-up or if you decide to start a group.

Many years ago when I became a single parent a group of us recently divorced ladies would get all dressed up and go dancing. Some drank a lot some didn't. Some of us met men to date, some flirted a few got married. One thing for sure we all got a lot of exercise dancing the night away.

I read, play guitar, knit, work crossword puzzles or logic problems, watch movies, catch up on missed episodes of my favorite tv shows, bake, or play computer games. Shopping and beauty parlors have zero appeal for me, and while I'm fine with eating alone at a restaurant, I enjoy it more with company.

When I have alone time I:

SLEEP
Shop for ME - clothes and shoes. Alone! Slowly.
I watch a movie that has lots of bad words in it. Rated R.
I read.
I do take out food - whatever I want.
Did I mention napping?
I relish the quiet in my house.

I'd plan some day or quick overnight trips every other month or so, if I had a full weekend. Traveling somewhere new seems to give me a feeling of rejuvenation and inspiration. I'd go solo or find a girlfriend who can free up time to join me.

As far as specifics, how about wine tasting tours, hikes, lunches at new restaurants, canoeing or other boating, cooking classes or dinner prep places, dinner parties, shopping somewhere new (downtown vs mall), consignment store shopping, Sefora makeovers, museums or art walks, art classes with a group, spa day with friends. This is getting expensive...but there are a few ideas. On the cheap side, I'd go for hiking or other outside activities. :)

Other than that, I'd read, cook, plan, scrapbook or go through photos, sort through the junk in my house..you know the stuff you never have time to do with the kids around. :)

I'm a list maker, and so I keep a priority list that I go to when I have time. It includes everything from "clean out upstairs closet" to "get a pedicure" to "call Friend X to catch up". I try to intersperse the work with the rewards. I add to it and re prioritize anytime I think of something that needs to be done and when I have free time, I just start at the top of the list.

The only exception is that I'm also a reader, so if I'm feeling stressed, I give myself permission to ignore the list and spend time in bed with my kindle as needed. :)