The best things to do alone in your 20s are the ones that build independence while the stakes are low: eating out solo, travelling, trying classes, exploring your city and starting projects of your own. Your 20s are full of change, and learning to enjoy your own company now makes every later decade easier.
Why learn to do things alone in your 20s
Friends move cities, change jobs and start relationships. Schedules rarely line up. If you only do things when someone else is free, you will do very little. Learning to go alone gives you:
- Freedom: you pick the film, the pace and the time.
- Confidence: you find out you can handle new places on your own.
- Self-knowledge: you learn what you actually like, not just what the group likes.
- Better friendships: you are less dependent and more interesting to be around.
If the idea makes you nervous, start small. How to enjoy your own company gives a gentle path.
1. Eat out alone
Start with lunch
Lunch is easier than dinner. Take a book, sit at a table or counter and order what you like. See how to eat alone in public.
2. Have a coffee and just sit
Pick a café you like, order a drink and stay for an hour without checking your phone. You will notice more than you expect.
3. See a film alone
Cinemas are built for it. The lights go down and nobody cares. Read is it weird to go to the movies alone.
4. Visit a museum
Go at your own speed, skip what bores you and linger where you want. See alone/museum.
5. Go to a concert or a gig
Solo concert-goers are common and fans often chat. Arrive early, find a spot you like and enjoy the music.
6. Take a day trip
Pick a town within a couple of hours, buy a return ticket and wander. Day trips are a great rehearsal for bigger trips.
7. Take a first solo trip
A weekend somewhere new teaches you more about yourself than almost anything. Read first solo trip tips and use the solo travel checklist.
8. Stay in a hostel
Hostels are social and cheap, and many travellers are alone. See hostels for solo travelers.
9. Move to a new city or neighbourhood
If you can, try living somewhere new for a while. See moving to a new city alone.
10. Explore your own city like a tourist
Pick a neighbourhood you have never visited. Walk, find a bakery, look up at the buildings.
11. Go to the gym or try a class
Start with a group class where the instructor leads. See how to go to the gym alone.
12. Take up a hobby
Pottery, climbing, painting, running, coding or photography. A class gives structure and shared interest. See how to find a new hobby.
13. Run or walk a race
Races are social but you run your own pace. A 5k or 10k is a good first goal.
14. Go hiking
Choose a well-marked trail and tell someone your plan. See solo hiking tips and solo hiking safety.
15. Go to a festival
Festivals are friendlier than they look. See how to go to a festival alone.
16. Go to a sports game
A game is easy to enjoy alone. See how to go to a sports game alone.
17. Go to a bar for one drink
Pick a calm place with a counter. See how to go to a bar alone.
18. Go to a party where you know one person
It is a lower-stakes way to meet people. See how to go to a party alone.
19. Visit a bookshop for an hour
Browse, pick something unplanned and read the first chapter in a café.
20. Cook a proper meal for yourself
Learn two or three dishes you love. See how to cook for one.
21. Start a journal
Writing a few lines a day helps you notice what you think and feel. See how to start a journal.
22. Take yourself on a date
Dinner, a film, a walk, all planned for you. See solo date at home.
23. Volunteer
Helping out at a shelter, a food bank or an event puts you around purposeful people. Look for one-off events first.
24. Learn a language and use it
Take a class or use an app, then try your phrases in a shop or a café.
25. Start a side project
Build something, write something, make something. Doing it alone teaches you discipline.
26. Do a no-spend day alone
Walk, read, cook with what you have, and see what a free day feels like.
27. Try a new food on your own
Order something you have never eaten. A simple food mission at level 3 in Solo Era is "Eat a cuisine you have never tried, alone."
28. Take a solo road trip
Pick a route, a playlist and a few stops. See solo road trip tips.
29. Spend a weekend with nothing planned
No alarms, no obligations. See what you want to do when nobody tells you.
30. Make a solo bucket list
Write your own list of things you want to do alone and plan one per month. See solo bucket list.
How to pick where to start
| If you are... | Start with |
|---|---|
| Nervous about being seen alone | Cinema, museum, café, where everyone is busy |
| New in town | Day trips, classes, exploring neighbourhoods |
| Short on money | Walks, hikes, free museum days, a library |
| Wanting to meet people | A class, a club, a hostel, volunteering |
| Craving adventure | Weekend trip, solo road trip, a hostel stay |
| Burnt out | A quiet day, cooking, a journal, a long walk |
Browse more in things to do alone. The what should I do today tool can also pick one for you.
Tips for your 20s
- Do not wait for the perfect time. There rarely is one.
- Start small and repeat. The second time is easier than the first.
- Put your phone away. Looking around is part of the pleasure.
- Say yes to chatting. Solo outings often lead to short conversations. See how to make small talk.
- Ignore the comparison. Social media makes everyone's life look crowded. Real life is quieter.
- Keep your friends too. Solo skills add to your social life, they do not replace it. See make friends after college.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
Solo Era is an iPhone app for practising these solo steps, with missions in food, movement, culture, travel, everyday, solitude and people, five difficulty levels and before-and-after ratings of how nervous you felt. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions.
FAQ
Is it normal to do things alone in your 20s?
Yes. Plenty of people your age go to cafés, cinemas, concerts and trips alone, especially when friends are busy or live elsewhere.
What is a good first thing to do alone?
A café visit or lunch alone. Both are short, low-stakes and easy to leave.
Will I look lonely if I go out alone?
Most people are focused on their own plans. See the spotlight effect. Bring something to read if it makes you feel at ease.
How do I make friends while doing things alone?
Choose activities with built-in conversation, such as classes, clubs, volunteering or hostels. Small talk often comes naturally.
What if I get anxious about going out alone?
Start with the smallest step and repeat it. If anxiety is strong or stops you doing things you want to do, a professional can help.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
