How to spend your alone time

On those rare occasions when you actually do get alone time, how do you spend it? What do you do you? When you're a stay-at-home mum and you suddenly find yourself with some alone time you tend to get on with the cleaning or get the dinner on. But what if you could spend that time on you? What if you knew just how to spend that time to reignite the flame in your belly?



What is alone time?!


Okay so I know that being a stay-at-home mum means you rarely get any alone time, so knowing how to spend your alone time is not high on your priority list but stick with me because eventually you'll get some of that time you crave so much.

Back when LP was about to start school full-time I was in full-on panic mode. BP had already been at school for a while, so it wasn't the transition for LP that worried me. It was my transition. My transition from being a mum to a toddler to a mum of school-aged children. I had no idea how I would spend my days, and it really scared me.

How To Spend Your Alone Time | I didn't want to spend all my alone time mopping the kitchen floor.
I didn't want to become the mum that mopped the kitchen floor every day.


There's only so much cleaning you can do in one day before you drive yourself mad right? And thoughts of spending hours watching daytime TV made me shudder. I suddenly found myself trying to think of ways I would spend all that time. Admittedly it started out slowly with LP being at school just a few hours, but I knew eventually he'd be there all day. So what to do?

That's when I turned to writing - I happened to be reading a book at the time by an author who was also a mum. I found her blog, and it convinced me to start writing. My writing journey has been a long one, and while I left the novel behind I have loved writing this blog and these days it is really important to me.





The best part about being alone is that you really don't have to answer to anybody. You do what you want.

Justin Timberlake





I get to talk to you about how you can spend your time as a stay-at-home mum. All those years I felt so lonely and isolated have actually helped me speak to you right now, because I know what it's like mama.

So whether it's that your little ones are about to start school, they're already at school and you're searching for a new hobby, or you just need some time for yourself here's a list of ways to spend your alone time...



How to spend your alone time


  • Drawing - I love drawing, as you can see on my Morgan's Magic Markers page. It is my quiet time. It is my outlet. If you like putting pencil to paper why not try to expand your abilities a little? Watch YouTube videos, learn the basics, whatever it is that makes you smile.


  • Get organised - You could make yourself a chores list (or grab mine), arrange your kitchen to make things easier to grab when you're cooking, or it could be your paperwork that needs a little organisation. Getting organised can make you feel a lot better, particularly if you're clearing out clutter.

How To Spend Your Alone Time | Get organised and you'll have more time than you think!


  • Home improvement - Do you have some upgrades you've been meaning to do? Painting the lounge or kitchen? Or maybe you've always wondered about up-cycling your furniture? Spend your alone time improving your home and you'll feel good for doing it. Your home will look amazing, and it'll be thanks to you (not that it doesn't already!).


  • Dance around - Put on your favourite tunes, blast it out of the speakers, and dance around like a child. Wave your arms around, jump up and down, and generally have fun. It's amazing how good dancing can make you feel, so why not? It's not like anyone is watching.


  • Take a bath - with extras. Pour yourself a glass of wine, run a hot bath (don't forget the bubbles!), and relax. Enjoy the peace while the kids are at school.


  • Go for a meal - alone. Get yourself out of the house, go to a restaurant you've always wanted to go to. Enjoy sitting at a table eating a meal uninterrupted. Savour the good food.


  • Random act of kindness - Nothing makes you feel good like helping someone out. So why not do a random act of kindness? It's a great way to spend your alone time because you're helping some out, but it's also good for you too. When was the last time you helped someone else out of the kindness of your heart?


  • Try a workout class - There are gyms all over the country that run classes. Look through what's available and find one you might enjoy. I attend a yoga class on a Saturday morning and LOVE it, it's just for me and I wouldn't be without it now. You might also find some new friends too.

How To Spend Your Alone Time | Yoga class is a great way to spend alone time.
I'm not quite here yet, but maybe one day!


  • Experiment in the kitchen - There could be a meal you've been meaning to try out, or it might be a cake you've always wanted to bake. Now is the perfect time to try it out. You've got some alone time and spending it doing something that isn't just for yourself is a nice transition. You may even stumble on a meal your kids will love!


  • Treat yourself - Go shopping. Go to a coffee shop. Buy yourself a slice of cake. Whatever it is make it a treat just for you. And smile.






It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company.

George Washington





  • Go for a drive - I'm not just talking to the supermarket here either. Get in the car and go for a long drive, just because you can. You'll be amazed at the difference driving the car in silence can make to your mood. Sometimes I love going for a drive without the kids in the car - it's just so quiet and even though I don't have a destination in mind it's lovely.


  • List life goals - Sit down and spend a little time thinking about yourself. Use that alone time productively to learn what you want from life. What would you do if money was no issue? What makes you smile at just the thought of it? Think about how you would like life to be.


  • Go for a walk - Getting outdoors, walking amongst nature, really helps with bad moods or a blocked mind. We have canals near us and often go for walks, it's so nice to walk along where there are no cars and listen to the wildlife. It lets your mind wander and means that your thoughts end up being more clear. Whenever I have a block, when I feel like I can't write, I go for a walk.


  • Meditate - Sit down and relax. Don't think about anything. Just calmness. It's wonderful.

How To Spend Your Alone Time | Be still, and calm...


  • Spa day - Book yourself a spa day. I love Eden Hall for my spa days (it's the nearest to me that I know of) and I spend the entire day doing things for myself. From going for a swim to drinking coffee and eating cake, oh and there's massages too. Bliss.


  • Go to the cinema - See a movie you've been wanting to see. Buy yourself some popcorn, get a treat, and then sit and enjoy a movie - without interruptions for toilet breaks!


  • Read a book - There are so many great books out there, why not spend some time reading? I'm currently reading News from The Clouds, the third in a series by Robert Lewellyn. But if you're looking for recommendations one of my favourites recently has to be Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.



There are so many ways you could spend your alone time, you just need to spend a little time thinking about it. Before you know it you'll love your time alone and look forward to it every day.



How would you spend your alone time?




You can grab my checklist of ways to spend your alone time which features a few things not listed here, so you can keep track of the things you've tried out so far.