Things to do when you have nothing to do

I often struggle with loneliness and boredom when I'm stuck at home by myself.  I get my energy from spending time with people.  This means that when my friends are busy and I'm home alone for days on end, I start to feel depressed.  

I took these holidays as an opportunity to learn some ways to combat this loneliness.  This list is of all the things I like to do with my alone time.  Just because I'd rather be spending time with my favourite people doesn't mean I can't have a nice time by myself.  

Making bath-time special

I need to remind myself how great a bath can be for self-indulgence.  These are my suggestions for how to make your nightly soak special:

• Use tealight candles for a twinkly twilight ambience.

• Use Lush bath bombs or bubble bars.  They're cheap and can last a long time if used slowly.

• Watch TV on a laptop.  I love SBS On Demand and ABC iview for great home-grown TV, documentaries, and foreign films.  

• Stock up on food and drink!  I love taking a cup of tea or Milo into the bath.  Also lollies or a packet of bikkies are perfect bath-appropriate snacks.

• Follow up your bath and get ready for bedtime by moisturising your skin and massaging your tired muscles. 

• Slip straight into pyjamas and enjoy the soft snuggliness that only flannel can offer.

At-home indulgences

Here are some small things that I do to make home-alone time less lonely and boring.  

• I'm a big tea drinker so one of the biggest indulgences is making fresh loose leaf tea.  

• Rent a movie and play it in the background to make any chores you might have more interesting.

• Refresh your nail polish.  This is so cliched and girly, but I find it really relaxing to take time out to do something nice for myself.  

• Watch Youtube vlogs.  My favourite video bloggers are Jim Chapman and Tanya Burr.  Watching their videos makes me feel like I'm spending time with lovely people even when I'm stuck indoors.  

Small escapes from the house

I often feel a bit caged up in my house.  I always feel better and fresher if I can escape it for a little while.  These are some things I like to do to get out of the house:

• Errands might not look like fun, but having something to do can give you a sense of purpose.  Small errands like a trip to the shops aren't time-consuming but get you out of the house.  

• I often crave coffee but I can't make a good enough cup at home.  I love to go for a quick drive to the coffee shop, with my favourite cd pumping in the stereo for an escape from the house.   

• Take a book or your lunch to the park or beach, and enjoy the shade and change of surroundings.  

• Go for a run or walk the dog.  Running especially can improve your energy and motivation levels.

• Spend some time in the library.  You can take advantage of the free wi-fi to do your own thing, or enjoy the air-con and comfy sofas for reading.  

So these are my personal favourite things to do when I'm home alone.  I hope that you find some  of these suggestions helpful if you ever get the short end of the social-committments stick and are feeling lonely.  I'd love to hear what you enjoy doing when you're home alone, so leave a comment.