When you're single and living in a new city, far from your loved ones, the weekend can sometimes feel endless. Contrary to what shows like "Friends" portray, you don't spend your two days off sipping fancy lemonades in great company. Sometimes, it's just a void. You almost can't wait for the week to start and get back to some semblance of a social life. To better cope with weekend loneliness and fill that empty schedule, here are a few ideas for entertainment.<\/p>\n
The weekend is slowly approaching, and we're racking our brains trying to figure out how to fill it. We can't wait for the week to be over, but at the same time, we're dreading this extended period of solitude. We scroll through our contacts, searching for kind souls to occupy some of our free time, we save craft tutorials from social media, and we check local news, desperately searching for outings or other interesting events. In reality, we're so afraid of being alone with ourselves that we're ready to go to the first local p\u00e9tanque tournament or the senior citizens' dance hall.<\/p>\n
While solitary weekends seem restorative for some and akin to a precious moment of introspection, for others they are particularly anxiety-inducing. This is especially true for single people, who only have their inner voice to talk to (and it isn't always very kind). The transition between a week saturated with obligations and a weekend of Olympian calm can sometimes be abrupt.<\/p>\n
According to astudy<\/a> by Wolfgang Maenning, based on data from 1994 to 2010, the weekend is more depressing than the weekday for a large majority of people. It seems paradoxical, but it's true. The reason is that the week keeps us in a state of intense adrenaline, and this excitement vanishes at the dawn of the weekend, causing a kind of profound blues<\/a> when the long-awaited days off arrive.<\/p>\n Restorative for some, oppressive for others, weekend solitude remains taboo. It's perceived as a personal defeat and elicits responses like "I'm sorry for you," as if it were something inevitably endured, never chosen. Sometimes, the reality is embellished, deemed too "gloomy" or not "marketable" enough to be shared with colleagues on Monday morning during the weekend debrief.<\/p>\n Some participated in a virtual reality event, others were motivated to visit all the exhibitions in town, while the most hyperactive packed in hiking, canyoning, creative workshops, and a music quiz night. Next to them, you quickly feel inadequate and offer only a vague "I didn't do anything special." In a performance-driven society where you have to be productive<\/a> even on your days off, weekend solitude can quickly become a source of shame. However, being alone doesn't mean being "friendless" or "unloved." Solitude isn't a problem to be solved, nor a silent cry for help. It's sometimes a way to reconnect with yourself, to rediscover activities that excited you as a child, to confront your own thoughts.<\/p>\n Keeping busy on the weekend isn't a competition, and solitude isn't an insurmountable challenge either. There's no need to try out new hobbies every weekend to impress at work or fill your Instagram stories. You can easily combat boredom with a well-structured routine. Because the weekend isn't always a series of exciting discoveries and spectacular outings.<\/p>\n The idea? To give our days some structure without it feeling like an obligation. We can have coffee at our favorite spot every Saturday morning instead of sipping it on the sofa while staring into space. We can also set ourselves mini-challenges, achievable ones of course. Why not a walk in a different neighborhood every Sunday or a random draw to choose a movie at the cinema in the evening? It's no longer solitude but an almost romantic date with ourselves.<\/p>\n When you live in a big city, you don't know all its secrets. Yet, instead of exploring unknown places on Google Maps, you tend to limit yourself to a well-defined area. The weekend is the perfect opportunity to get off the beaten track and step outside your comfort zone.<\/p>\n You can start by exploring the aisles of the local market, a place teeming with life, joy, and human connection. You can also simply wander the streets, without a specific itinerary: the best way to discover new things. Why not step inside that museum or restaurant you see mentioned in all the guidebooks? You can plan your weekend like a tourist passing through and become completely immersed in the experience, to the point of forgetting you're not staying in a hotel.<\/p>\n Why fight weekend loneliness when you can turn it to your advantage and transform it into a rejuvenating interlude? Being alone is also a way to do activities you keep putting off. Read that book left unfinished since your last vacation, jot down whatever comes to mind, use your emotions as creative energy, cook that tempting recipe you stumbled across while scrolling.<\/p>\n Instead of fighting loneliness, we welcome it as an opportunity, a precious moment of well-being. These activities often provide a sense of accomplishment that lessens the feeling of emptiness.<\/p>\n For a long time, going out alone was considered a \u201cstrange\u201d phenomenon, almost reserved for those who hadn't managed to find a plan B. Yet, simply changing your perspective can transform the experience. Going to the movies, sitting at a caf\u00e9 terrace, visiting an exhibition, or even having dinner alone are not admissions of loneliness, but rather choices to be present with oneself.<\/p>\n At first, there's often a slight unease, a feeling of being watched while everyone else is actually busy living their own story. Then, very quickly, something relaxes. You choose your place, your rhythm, your silence. You don't wait for anyone, you don't adapt to anyone, and that kind of freedom has a surprisingly rare flavor.<\/p>\n Going out alone also means rediscovering the world unfiltered. You observe more, you listen better, you let yourself be surprised by details you might have missed in a conversation or a group. A caf\u00e9 becomes a refuge, a walk transforms into a breath of fresh air, a museum into an intimate dialogue with yourself.<\/p>\n Learning to love your solo weekends isn't about turning your life into a series of inspiring activities. It's about letting go of the idea that a successful weekend has to be like everyone else's. It's about accepting that sometimes, the best plan is precisely not to have one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you're single and living in a new city, far from your loved ones, the weekend can sometimes...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":445203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5639],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-445199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bien-etre"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Solitude-week-end-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Solitude-week-end-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Solitude-week-end.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":5639,"name":"Well-being","slug":"bien-etre","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5804,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Well-being section of The Body Optimist shares practical advice on staying active, sleeping better, managing stress and understanding everyday aches and pains. Written for women of every size and body type, it starts from a simple idea: taking care of your body works best through enjoyment and consistency, not pressure or guilt.<\/p>\n When you return to physical activity, consistency matters more than intensity. A few ways to ease back in:<\/p>\n Everyday movement counts too: walking or biking to get around, taking the stairs and gardening all add up as physical activity.<\/p>\n Here, your body isn't a project to fix. We talk about exercise for pleasure, mood and health, never as a way to \u201cmake up for\u201d a meal or to lose weight, and every tip should work for you whatever your body type. The articles in this section provide general information and do not replace advice from a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking. It also stresses that some activity is better than none: every session counts, even a short one, and what matters most is finding a pace you can keep up over the long run.<\/p>\n Consistency is the first lever: go to bed and get up at similar times, weekends included. A quiet, dark, cool bedroom, less screen time in the evening and a dinner that isn't too late all make it easier to fall asleep. Loud snoring or waking up gasping for air is worth mentioning to your doctor.<\/p>\n Ongoing fatigue can have many causes: lack of sleep, stress or mental overload, but also iron deficiency, a thyroid disorder or depression. If it lasts several weeks despite rest, or comes with other symptoms, see your doctor to find out what's behind it.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Explore all our topics in the Health section<\/a>, follow moms-to-be in the Pregnancy section<\/a> and enjoy a varied way of eating, without restriction, with the Nutrition section<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":360,"count":1718,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5639,"category_count":1718,"category_description":" The Well-being section of The Body Optimist shares practical advice on staying active, sleeping better, managing stress and understanding everyday aches and pains. Written for women of every size and body type, it starts from a simple idea: taking care of your body works best through enjoyment and consistency, not pressure or guilt.<\/p>\n When you return to physical activity, consistency matters more than intensity. A few ways to ease back in:<\/p>\n Everyday movement counts too: walking or biking to get around, taking the stairs and gardening all add up as physical activity.<\/p>\n Here, your body isn't a project to fix. We talk about exercise for pleasure, mood and health, never as a way to \u201cmake up for\u201d a meal or to lose weight, and every tip should work for you whatever your body type. The articles in this section provide general information and do not replace advice from a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking. It also stresses that some activity is better than none: every session counts, even a short one, and what matters most is finding a pace you can keep up over the long run.<\/p>\n Consistency is the first lever: go to bed and get up at similar times, weekends included. A quiet, dark, cool bedroom, less screen time in the evening and a dinner that isn't too late all make it easier to fall asleep. Loud snoring or waking up gasping for air is worth mentioning to your doctor.<\/p>\n Ongoing fatigue can have many causes: lack of sleep, stress or mental overload, but also iron deficiency, a thyroid disorder or depression. If it lasts several weeks despite rest, or comes with other symptoms, see your doctor to find out what's behind it.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Explore all our topics in the Health section<\/a>, follow moms-to-be in the Pregnancy section<\/a> and enjoy a varied way of eating, without restriction, with the Nutrition section<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Well-being","category_nicename":"bien-etre","category_parent":360}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445199"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":445213,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445199\/revisions\/445213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Stop viewing loneliness as a failure<\/h2>\n
Create your own weekend rituals<\/h2>\n
Rediscovering your city like a tourist<\/h2>\n
Cultivating "deep" activities<\/h2>\n
Going out alone without waiting to be accompanied<\/h2>\n
What you'll find in the Well-being section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get back into exercise after a long break?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How much exercise do you need each week?<\/h3>\n
How can you sleep better?<\/h3>\n
Why am I tired all the time?<\/h3>\n
What you'll find in the Well-being section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get back into exercise after a long break?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How much exercise do you need each week?<\/h3>\n
How can you sleep better?<\/h3>\n
Why am I tired all the time?<\/h3>\n