Here are 30 things to do alone in winter to enjoy the season on your own, try some fun activities, and create cozy me-time.
As someone who loves winter, I think this season is too special to spend all of it waiting for other people to be free.
I’d say even the most social people (which I am not) should create intentional me-time during this season.
It is the best time of the year to enjoy your own company, rest and relax, and get close to your inner self.
You have the cold weather giving you a perfectly valid reason to stay home.
Blankets are acceptable daytime attire, and even making coffee feels like a ritual when it’s chilly outside.
And because this season is so slow and inviting, I’d even say that winter activities are even better when nobody else is there to rush you.
So, if you’ve got some solo time on your hands, here are 30 cozy, fun, and actually doable things to do alone in winter.
30 Things To Do Alone In Winter
1. Take yourself on a hot chocolate date
If you don’t already have a solo date scheduled for winter, then this one is for you.
Find a cute cafe near you and take yourself out for hot chocolate on a cold winter afternoon.
You can bring a book along, sit by the window if you’re lucky enough to get a good seat, and spend an hour there without rushing to leave.
Sitting somewhere warm with a hot drink while it’s freezing outside is already half the experience. The cafe set-up would make it perfect.
2. Start a really long book
You know those giant books you keep avoiding because they’re 700 pages long and feel like a six-month commitment?
Winter is their time to shine!
Pick one book or a long series and let yourself slowly work through it over the season.
Fantasy books are especially perfect for this because you get to disappear into another world for a long while every day.
Keep it on your nightstand, read with your morning drink, and spend your Sunday afternoons tucked under a blanket with it.
By the end of winter, the book will probably feel attached to the season in your head, which I always find cool.
I am in my fantasy reading era, and these are the books I highly recommend for winter:
- The Night Circus (slow read, so you can savor it.)
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (the whole series! It’s famous for a reason.)
- The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
3. Go on winter morning walks
If you’re lucky enough to get nice winter mornings where you live, please go outside and enjoy them.
Put on a sweatshirt, grab your headphones, and just walk while everything is still quiet.
You can listen to music or a podcast, but I also recommend occasionally going without either.
There is something really nice about simply walking around and noticing the cold air, bare trees, morning fog, and people slowly starting their days.
And unlike summer walks, you won’t come home looking like you’ve just survived something. Always a plus for me.
4. Make soup from scratch
I don’t make soup nearly enough, considering how cozy the whole process is. This winter, I’m going to do it more, and so should you.
On any cold day, make your favorite soup from scratch (tomato, mushroom, pumpkin, sweet corn, chicken — whatever sounds good to you).
Put some music on while you’re cooking and make enough that you can have leftovers the next day.
Then toast some bread, put on a cozy show, and have your soup while it’s still piping hot.
5. Have a candlelit reading night
Don’t spend all your evenings scrolling through your phone. Make yourself a reading setup instead.
Turn off the big lights, switch on your lamps, light a candle, make tea, and get under your warmest blanket with a book.
You could even put fireplace sounds or soft instrumental music on in the background (I do this every night).
I know this is such a small thing, but changing the atmosphere around an ordinary activity makes it feel very different.
And reading by warm lights while it’s dark and cold outside? Chef’s kiss.
6. Go winter window-shopping
You don’t always need to go shopping with the intention of buying something.
You can head to a pretty market or shopping area and just wander around for a while.
Look at all the winter clothes, browse the bookstores, smell the candles, check out the seasonal displays, and maybe try on a coat or sweater you like.
I love doing this around the holidays because everything looks so pretty.
Feel free to grab yourself a coffee on the way back. This is how you turn a random afternoon into a cute solo date without spending much money.
7. Recreate a childhood winter evening
Think about what winter evenings looked like when you were younger and bring some of that back.
Maybe you used to watch a particular movie every winter, eat instant noodles after school, play board games, draw for hours, or curl up with a book while your mom made tea.
Pick a few things that can remind you of that time and recreate the feeling for one evening.
Sometimes, it’s just nice to lean back on old happy ways instead of looking for something new.
8. Bake cinnamon rolls
Winter is the season when I’m most tempted to bake everything in sight.
And cinnamon rolls are so fun because they take enough time to actually give you something to do for the afternoon.
Find a recipe, put on some music, and take your time making them.
Even if they don’t come out looking like the perfect swirly ones you saw on Pinterest, I’m pretty sure warm cinnamon rolls covered in icing will still taste amazing.
9. Watch the sunset with a thermos
Winter sunsets happen pretty early anyway, so this is easy to fit into your day.
Make yourself something hot, pour it into a thermos, and go somewhere nearby to watch the sunset.
It could be a park, your terrace, a quiet viewpoint, or a bench somewhere you regularly walk.
Just sit there, sip your drink, and watch the sky for a while without your phone (fine, you can click one picture, but that’s it).
You don’t have to turn every solo activity into something productive. Sometimes watching a pretty sky is enough.
10. Learn a cozy winter craft
If you’ve been wanting to try knitting, crochet, embroidery, painting, or anything else crafty, winter is such a good time to start.
Get yourself a beginner kit or find a simple tutorial online and make it your evening hobby for the season.
The idea of sitting under a blanket and knitting something while watching a cozy show sounds extremely grandmother-ish in the best possible way.
And you’ll have something handmade by the end of winter, even if it’s slightly wonky.
11. Take yourself to a bookstore
Bookstores are one of my favorite places to visit when I’m alone because nobody is waiting for me to finish browsing.
You can spend as much time as you want looking at covers, reading the backs, wandering into all the sections, and making a mental list of books you’d like to read.
Pick one book to bring home with you and make it your winter read.
If there’s a cafe nearby, you can stop for a warm drink before you head home.
Bookstore, coffee, and cold weather are one of those combinations that will never disappoint me.
12. Go on a winter photo walk
Head outside one day with the specific intention of photographing winter.
Take pictures of bare trees, foggy streets, golden afternoon light, people wearing coats, your coffee cup, winter flowers, holiday decorations, or anything else that catches your eye.
You don’t need a proper camera. Your phone is more than enough.
Taking photos makes you notice your surroundings differently because you start looking for beautiful things you’d normally walk right past.
Put all your favorites into a winter album afterward so you have a collection from the season!
13. Start a giant puzzle
Get yourself a 500 or 1000-piece puzzle and keep it somewhere you can work on it throughout winter.
Spend an hour on it when you’re bored, work on it while listening to an audiobook, or make it your weekend afternoon activity.
It’s also a better alternative for those evenings when you don’t want to watch another show but aren’t quite in the mood to read either.
Just make sure you have somewhere to leave it without somebody destroying three hours of work (coz that would hurt).
14. Make yourself a fancy winter breakfast
Give yourself one slow winter morning where breakfast is the main event.
Make pancakes, French toast, waffles, cinnamon oatmeal, eggs and toast, or whatever feels a bit more special than what you usually eat.
Make coffee or tea, put everything on a proper plate, and please sit down to enjoy it.
You could read while you eat or put on a cozy morning playlist in the background.
Trust me, you’ll want to make this your weekly winter ritual.
15. Go out on a foggy morning
Fog has always been very magical to me, and it’s easily my top favorite thing about winter.
This obviously only works if winter gets foggy where you live, but if it does, go out and enjoy it at least once!
Take a walk around a safe and familiar area, visit a nearby park, or just head outside early enough to see everything covered in that soft winter haze.
Come back home afterward and quickly make yourself something hot.
The warming-up-after-being-outside part is honestly one of the best things about winter.
16. Make a winter scrapbook
Instead of letting all your winter memories disappear into your camera roll, put some of them somewhere physical.
Get a blank scrapbook and add photos, little notes, cafe receipts, tickets, pressed leaves, stickers, or anything else you collect throughout the season.
You could work on a page every Saturday or just add things whenever you feel like it.
Don’t worry about making it look perfect at all. Slightly messy scrapbooks are much more fun to look through anyway.
By the end of winter, you’ll have a book about what your life looked like during this season.
17. Have a themed winter movie marathon
On any cold day when you don’t have anything important to do, dedicate your hours to movies!
But instead of picking whatever pops up first, give your marathon a theme.
You could watch old Christmas movies, Harry Potter, winter romances, animated movies, mysteries, or a franchise you’ve been meaning to start.
Make popcorn, order something nice for dinner, get your blankets out, and settle in.
Some days, staying home binging themed movies is exactly the winter plan you need.
18. Have an at-home cafe afternoon
If you don’t feel like going out, bring the cafe vibes home!
Make yourself a nice coffee, hot chocolate, or tea and put together a yummy snack to go with it.
Then sit somewhere other than your usual scrolling spot and spend the next hour reading, journaling, writing, or doing something creative.
Put some soft cafe music on in the background if you want.
It’s such an easy way to make a normal day feel brighter, especially when the weather is too cold to convince yourself to leave the house.
19. Take a long everything shower
Winter is perfect for those long showers where you finally use all the products sitting in your bathroom.
Wash your hair, put on a hair mask, exfoliate, shave if you want to, and take your time instead of treating your shower like another thing you need to get done.
Then moisturize properly, put on fresh pajamas, make yourself a warm drink, and get into clean sheets.
I’d recommend doing this at night when you have nowhere else to be afterward. You will sleep so well.
20. Take a cozy train ride
I will always maintain that train rides are infinitely cozier than airplane rides.
There’s something about watching the world go past your window while you’re warm inside that just feels right in winter.
This isn’t something you can randomly do every weekend, I know.
But if there’s somewhere nearby you can safely visit by train, plan a winter day trip.
Get a window seat if you can, take a book with you, pack some snacks, and just the actual journey without thinking too much about the destination.
21. Visit a museum or gallery alone
Museums and art galleries are such perfect solo activities, yet we don’t go there enough.
You can move at your own pace, stop wherever you want, and spend twenty minutes staring at something without worrying that the person with you is getting bored.
I’d suggest visiting a museum, gallery, exhibition, or historical place near you that you’ve never properly explored.
Spend a slow winter afternoon there. Your own curiosity and interest might surprise you.
22. Have a no-phone winter morning
Give yourself one morning where the Internet doesn’t get access to you the second you open your eyes.
Don’t check messages, Instagram, emails, or anything else for the first hour or two.
Make your morning drink, sit somewhere sunny, read a few pages, journal, make breakfast, or head out for a walk.
You’d be surprised by how long a morning feels when you’re actually in it instead of disappearing into your phone.
Try this on a weekend first when you don’t need to rush anywhere. You’ll want to thank me later.
23. Find your winter comfort show
Everyone should have a show that they can slowly watch throughout the season.
I personally love discovering a comforting series with enough episodes that I don’t have to start looking for something new again after three evenings.
Watch an episode with dinner, put it on while you’re having tea, or save it for the end of the day when you’re done with everything else.
My personal recommendation: Everwood (charming small-town show with plenty of winter moments).
24. Make your own winter afternoon tea
Afternoon tea is easily ten times better in winter.
Bring out a cup you adore, make your favorite tea, and put together a small plate of snacks to go with it.
Cookies, cake, sandwiches, fruit — use whatever you already have.
You’re not allowed to carry the mug back to your laptop or forget about it until the tea is cold.
Sit somewhere cozy and just enjoy your tea.
25. Build a blanket fort
Okay, this one might sound like something you stopped doing at age twelve. Which is exactly why I think you should do it again.
On any winter night when you have time, gather all your blankets and pillows, and build yourself a cozy little fort in your bedroom or living room.
Take your laptop inside, bring snacks, put some fairy lights around it if you have them, and watch a movie.
Will you feel slightly silly while building it? Probably.
But once you’re inside with your blanket and snacks, I don’t think you’ll care.
26. Cook yourself a proper winter dinner
Don’t save all the good meals for when you’re cooking for other people.
Pick something comforting that you really love and make a proper dinner for yourself!
Homemade pasta, ramen, curry, baked potatoes, a family recipe, or anything else that sounds super good on a cold evening.
Put some music on while you’re cooking and take your time with it.
Then sit down and eat while it’s still hot instead of standing in the kitchen picking at it straight from the pan (although I’ve absolutely done that too).
27. Go stargazing on a clear winter night
If you get a clear night, put on enough layers and spend some time outside looking at the sky.
You can sit on your terrace or balcony, head into your garden, or find another safe open space nearby.
Use a stargazing app if you want to figure out which stars and constellations you’re looking at.
Bring a blanket and something warm to drink so you can stay outside for a while without freezing.
This is such a quiet activity, and that’s why it deserves a spot in your winter bucket list.
28. Take yourself on a winter picnic
Summer gets all the picnic attention, but sunny winter afternoons are also very nice.
Go to a park or another peaceful outdoor spot, bring a thick blanket, pack yourself something to eat, and take a flask of tea or coffee.
You can bring a book and stay there for an hour or simply lie down and enjoy the sun.
One of my favorite things about winter is actually wanting sunlight on my face instead of desperately searching for shade.
Take advantage of it while you can.
29. Start a winter diary
I love the idea of having a journal that’s specifically for one season.
And even if I don’t do this for every season, I always open a tiny notebook just for winter (it is, after all, my favorite season and also the best time to be writing).
You don’t have to write pages and pages every night either.
Just write a few lines about your day, the weather, what you’re currently reading or watching, something nice that happened, or whatever has been on your mind lately.
You can stick photos, tickets, little drawings, or random bits of your life into it too.
Imagine opening it a few years from now and getting to see exactly what your winter looked and felt like. That’s reason enough to do this!
30. Create your own winter tradition
Finally, pick one thing from this list — or come up with something new — and turn it into something you do every winter.
Maybe you reread the same book every December, go out for hot chocolate on the first cold day, make cinnamon rolls one Sunday, buy yourself a new winter mug, or take the same train trip every year.
It doesn’t have to be a big tradition.
The tiny ones are often more special because you start looking forward to them without even realizing it.
And one day, winter will roll around, and realize it’s that time of the year again. How lovely is that?!
Enjoy Your Solo Winter!
I hope this list has given you plenty of ideas for the days when you’re alone this winter.
You don’t need to do all 30, of course.
Just pick the ones that sound fun to you and actually put them on your calendar instead of saving them for some future day.
Take yourself out for hot chocolate, spend an afternoon inside a bookstore, and make cinnamon rolls on a random Sunday.
Definitely go for long winter walks and come home to something warm.
And also give yourself permission to have those lazy winter days where you just relax and let yourself be.
Being alone doesn’t mean you have to constantly find ways to keep yourself busy.
Sometimes a warm blanket, a good book, and an entire evening to yourself are the plans. Winter is pretty perfect for that.
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