I dreaded weekends alone until I discovered these 6 solo activities that made loneliness disappear

For years, weekends were the hardest part of my week.

While friends packed their schedules with brunches and couples’ getaways, I often found myself in a quiet apartment wondering what was wrong with me.

Why did everyone else seem to thrive in their downtime while I felt stuck in a loop of restlessness and isolation?

It took me a long time to realize the problem wasn’t the solitude itself.

It was that I didn’t know how to inhabit it.

Once I stopped seeing my weekends as something to “get through” and started treating them as a place to explore, everything shifted.

The loneliness softened.

The quiet felt less like a void and more like space to reconnect with myself.

Here are the six activities that genuinely changed my relationship with being alone.

Maybe one of them will quietly open a new door for you too.

1) Trail running taught me how to be alone without feeling lonely

I remember the first Saturday morning I laced up my running shoes and drove to a trailhead instead of scrolling my phone in bed.

I wasn’t a seasoned runner back then.

I just needed to move my body and my thoughts in a new direction.

The moment I stepped onto the path, something clicked.

There’s a steadiness in the sound of your own footsteps that can feel oddly comforting when everything else feels chaotic.

And unlike gym workouts, trails don’t demand performance.

They ask for presence.

Have you ever noticed how nature makes you feel less alone, even when you’re technically by yourself?

There’s something grounding about being surrounded by trees, rocks, and birds that don’t care who you are or what you’re doing with your life.

Over time, those long runs became my emotional reset button.

They weren’t about fitness as much as about reclaiming my weekends.

The experience taught me that solitude feels different when your senses are engaged.

You’re not trapped in your thoughts; you’re participating in something larger than them.

And on days when running felt too ambitious, even a slow hike had the same magic.

2) Cooking elaborate plant-based meals became my favorite Saturday ritual

There’s a particular kind of loneliness that hits around dinnertime on weekends.

I used to stare into my fridge and think, “Is it worth cooking for just me?” and then default to something uninspired.

But one rainy Saturday, I decided to treat myself the way I would treat a guest.

I pulled out a recipe for a vegan mushroom bourguignon, turned on some music, and let myself get completely absorbed in the slow, comforting process of chopping, stirring, and tasting.

Somewhere between sautéing the shallots and simmering the broth, I felt a surprising wave of contentment.

I wasn’t killing time.

I was creating something beautiful for myself.

Since then, I’ve made it a point to try one new recipe every weekend.

Sometimes it’s a complicated dish.

Other times it’s as simple as a fresh farmers’ market salad (one of the perks of volunteering there is that I always come home with produce begging to be used).

Cooking became a way to show myself care.

And it shifted my mindset from “I’m alone” to “I get to enjoy this.”

If you’ve ever minimized your own needs because no one else was around, try flipping the script.

It’s shockingly healing.

3) Learning something new kept my mind from spiraling

Loneliness often creeps in when our mental energy has nowhere to go.

So I started dedicating part of every weekend to learning a skill or exploring a curiosity.

Sometimes it was small, like practicing a few phrases in a new language.

Other times it was bigger, like signing up for an online psychology seminar. (My background in finance left me craving more people-centered subjects, and weekend learning scratched that itch.)

The funny thing is, you don’t have to excel at a new hobby to feel the benefits.

You just have to give your brain something meaningful to chew on.

Have you noticed how different you feel when you’re learning instead of ruminating?

Your inner critic quiets down. Your sense of possibility expands. You stop waiting for someone else to make your weekend interesting.

One reader once told me she learned how to do calligraphy because she needed “something beautiful to look forward to.”

I’ve never forgotten that.

We all deserve something beautiful to look forward to.

4) Volunteering reconnected me to a sense of purpose

I didn’t start volunteering at local farmers’ markets because I was trying to solve loneliness.

I just loved the vibe: neighbors supporting growers, kids sampling fruit with sticky fingers, conversations that flowed easily.

But something unexpected happened.

Showing up for others made my weekends feel fuller without needing to fill them with social plans.

And research backs this up.

Studies on volunteerism consistently show increased feelings of belonging and decreased feelings of isolation.

But honestly, I didn’t need the research to tell me what my heart already knew.

Purpose changes the texture of time.

When you spend part of your weekend helping someone else, you walk away with a quiet glow that stays with you long after.

You don’t feel alone because you’ve participated in something communal, even if you weren’t there with close friends.

If you’re not sure where to start, try an animal shelter, a community garden, local cleanups, or food distribution events.

Anywhere you can contribute energy and walk away feeling like you mattered.

5) Creating a solo “date day” made my weekends feel intentional

One question changed everything for me: “What if I dated my own life?”

Instead of waking up and wondering how to fill the hours, I started planning a small solo outing each weekend.

Nothing dramatic.

Sometimes it was a matinee. Sometimes a bookstore wander. Sometimes a farmer’s market stroll followed by coffee and journaling.

Treating the outing like a real date helped reframe the experience.

I wasn’t alone because something was missing.

I was alone because I was choosing to spend time with myself.

And here’s what surprised me: this tiny mindset shift made everything more enjoyable.

Standing in line for an herbal tea felt pleasant instead of awkward.

Browsing new releases at a bookstore felt luxurious.

Even sitting in a café surrounded by couples and families didn’t sting the way it used to.

When you give yourself permission to enjoy your own company, you stop comparing your weekend to everyone else’s.

Try asking yourself: “What would make this Saturday feel lovely?”

Not productive. Not busy. Just lovely.

Your answer might become a new ritual.

6) Setting up a slow Sunday reset helped me appreciate the quiet

If Saturday was for activity, Sunday became my sanctuary.

I noticed that loneliness shows up the strongest when there’s no structure.

So I created a gentle routine that made the day feel nourishing instead of empty.

For me, that looks like:

• brewing a pot of lavender tea
• light cleaning while listening to a favorite podcast
• journaling about what went well that week
• prepping food for the days ahead
• stepping outside, even if just for a walk around the block

The magic isn’t in the tasks themselves. It’s in the rhythm.

When you have something to anchor you, the quiet becomes soothing instead of intimidating.

This shift mattered more than I expected.

Sundays used to feel like a long exhale I didn’t know what to do with.

Now they feel like a soft landing.

A way to return to myself before the week pulls me in different directions.

If your weekends lack structure, try building a small ritual around care, clarity, or restoration.

You might be surprised by how grounding it feels.

Final thoughts

I used to think being alone on weekends meant something was missing from my life.

Now I see it differently.

Solitude didn’t create my loneliness.

My relationship to solitude did.

Once I stopped treating weekends as a problem to fix and started treating them as an opportunity to explore myself, everything changed.

I still love seeing friends and staying socially connected, of course, but I no longer fear the quiet stretches.

In fact, I look forward to them.

If you’ve been dreading your own weekends, consider experimenting with one of these activities.

Just one.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine.

Sometimes all it takes is one purposeful moment to turn an empty day into something meaningful.

And who knows? You might end up discovering a version of yourself you really enjoy spending time with.