The Art Of Staying Home On Purpose: 7 Brilliant Ways To Make A Full Life Without Constant Plans
Dekazigzag | Shutterstock If you look at other people's lives on social media or even on TV, it seems like everyone who's happy has a full social calendar.
In reality, we all need time alone to reflect in order to appreciate ourselves and truly grow. Yes, everyone needs a social balance, but there are ways to make a full life, even without constant plans, as hard as that may be to believe.
7 brilliant ways to stay at home on purpose and still have a very full life
1. Schedule solo dates to do all your favorite things
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There’s something special and rare about getting to the place in life where you can go to a restaurant or see a movie on your own, even if it’s just to treat yourself after a hard week. But there’s something even more profound about a person who stays home by themselves on purpose, scheduling self-care and time to really spend in their own company.
Even if you really are just alone on the couch, watching the comfort show you never get around to putting on, that kind of solitude doesn’t have to be lonely. If you make it a ritual, it might even be something you look forward to week after week.
Practicing this skill is like learning a new artm and that's how people who enjoy their own company grow to become so independent and comfortable with themselves.
2. Follow a totally new recipe once a week, something out of your comfort zone
Alone time in general becomes more rewarding when we carve it out intentionally and find space to do things we actually enjoy. The same is true for everyday chores like cooking a meal for ourselves. When we slow down enough to enjoy the process, it can become a way to expand our brain power, and learning new things can help us regulate complex emotions and practice mindfulness.
Try a new recipe. Get the ingredients for the TikTok or NYT Recipes dinner you saved a few weeks ago. Play around with plating your food in a more creative way. Cooking and eating alone doesn’t have to feel like a chore.
3. Read something that challenges your brain
Happiness and meaning ar important, but there’s a third path to a full and good life: psychological fulfillment. When you open yourself up to new things and step outside of your comfort zone, even in tiny ways, you introduce yourself to new worlds and ways of thinking.
Reading a genre that challenges you doesn't have to mean diving deep into an incomprehensible Russian novel, it just means pushing outside of what you're used to. If you love romance, try a more classic love story or a non-fiction book about how people fall in love. These are just examples, but you catch my drift.
Just because you’re at home or spending time in your own company doesn’t have to mean you have to stick to your comfort zone in TV and movies, too. Read some reviews and try something other than your reruns of The West Wing or New Girl. This kind of openness may seem silly, but it's more rewarding than we expect.
4. Decorate a room that feels a little flat
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If you’re surrounded by things you enjoy, like art or decorations that you curated yourself, you've created a space that reflects what's important to you. It'll fee exactly right for you, so you’re more likely to enjoy your time at home instead of dreading it.
Even if it’s buying a comfy blanket or taking up a tactile hobby like knitting or sketching to add some personal flair to your living room, making yor room or home uniquely you will make chilling at home feel more purposeful.
5. Create your own curriculum and dive into something you want to learn
Imagine taking on an era of history you never absorbed in school or diving into a niche part of social media you find fascinating, like ballet shoe construction or auto mechanics. Then you can dive into a rabbit hole of whatever interests you and learn more and more. Eventually, you may want to go to the library and find books about whatever niche subject you discover.
See, you don’t have to schedule a class to learn something (though you might get to that point!). You have the power to create that curriculum for yourself.
With all the purpose and meaning that comes from learning something new, your alone time at home can feel purposeful with the right structure. Maybe it’s just a few lines in your journal or a fully fleshed-out calendar with tasks for every other day. Regardless of how the curriculum takes shape and whatever you want to research or learn, expanding your mind can create a full life without ever having to leave the house.
6. Journal with a new prompt or reflection question every day
For someone struggling with mental health or an introvert spending time unwinding their emotions from the day, journaling is a surprisingly powerful practice. It puts your emotions into perspective and gives you a chance to take stock of what’s draining you.
Journaling even offers a space to track and plan goals or even daydream.
If you’re staying at home on purpose, investing in a journal might be a superpower. Even without the conversations that come from a huge social calendar, you have a space for connection and support. Trying new prompts, like the ones suggested by a community of devoted journal-leepers, can help expand the way you think and open new creative avenues for you, too.
7. Use a physical calendar to create a realistic routine
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Using a physical calendar and writing your obligations out by hand can make you more productive. At home, with the right energy and mindset, it can also be a stress reliever. Instead of trying to hold everything in your mind all at once, you’re both releasing and creating structure that makes you feel more secure in your life.
Staying home might not feel exciting, but if you’re using the time to benefit your future self, it can be. Schedule blocks of time to dedicate to your goals. Plan friendship hang-outs ahead of time. Hang up your calendar for hope. These are all purposeful things that can actually make a big difference.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
