A case for going to the cinema alone
I <3 my monthly trip to the flicks!
When I set out my ‘aims’ for 2024, I was mainly focused on creating happy habits (and as ever, dead against doing anything particularly difficult or that would make me hungry). Some you’re used to seeing on resolution lists: read more, limit scrolling, get up earlier - boring, but as you get older don’t you find the sort of things you were lectured about as a child are actually necessary, good for you, and bring peace and joy? Having a clean bedroom does help you sleep, putting things back where they belong does save a meltdown later, etc. Other items on my annual agenda were less expected, a smidge indulgent, even. Enter: a weekly bubble bath, and a trip to the cinema every month. Weirdly, I’ve found it easier to do the stereotypically boring/hard stuff than the categorically lovely commitments. It can be challenging to meet yourself where you are on a set day and reward that version, whoever she may be, however on top of her shit is. Sometimes I don’t feel like I deserve an afternoon out, or have the time to soak. But for the most part, don’t worry, I’ve pushed on ;) and I think you should too. Going to the cinema on your own is so so good!
Earmarking a date in the calendar for solo cinema time gives me two things: something to look forward to (that’s an average of 30 days of enjoyment/anticipation for the price of one booking) and the reminder, every time I see it highlighted in pink courtesy of Google, that an event that’s just for me and doesn’t include or have to please anyone else, is as important as all the others I write down so as not to forget. So-and-so’s birthday, a wedding, Substack post due, bin day… CINEMA! For a people pleaser and former don’t-enjoy-doing-anything-on-my-own type, I can’t stress how amazing this feeling is. To be honest, going to the local Odeon has resulted in a whole heap of benefits I didn’t have in mind when I made this half-serious commitment.
There are few activities millennials (all generations?) engage in these days that truly allow us, no, demand us to switch off and be uncontactable. We are almost always holding our devices, updating our status, only an email away.