There are tons fun things to do on your birthday even if you're an introvert, hate planning, don't drink, or just aren't into parties.
I love my birthday, but I'm not always into the whole planning a party thing.
It's a lot of work to find something that's fun, not too crazy expensive, and can be done relatively close to my day of birth. While I'm always thrilled to have an excuse to wrangle my friends and family together in honor of me, as I've gotten older, I've started looking for different ways to mark the day, whether it's with a group of people, or on my own.
If you want to take a moment or a day to celebrate yourself, here are some creative ideas to consider:
1. Make a list of your all-time favorite games, and host a game night.
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The games can be anything —board games, drinking games, old-school Nintendo video games, regular old party games, or even a murder mystery game you found on an app. Yes, this does involve some party planning, but doesn't it feel that much more rewarding when you know you're guaranteed to have a good time?
2. Go to an amusem*nt park.
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You can do a solo trip to a big time park like Disneyland, or gather a group of pals and go to a local amusem*nt park. And if your birthday happens to fall on or around a holiday like Halloween, even more reason to go and check out the seasonal decorations and events going on.
3. Have a meal at a restaurant that gives you free food for your birthday.
Benihana
I personally love using my $30 birthday voucher at Benihana every year, but there are literally so many places where you can get free food on your birthday.
4. Or get yourself something from a store or website that does free birthday gifts.
Some really awesome places like Sephora, World Market, Old Navy and CVS all do it up for birthday people.
5. Take a personal day and practice random acts of kindness.
"I took the day off and spent the entire day performing random acts of kindness. Specifically, one for every year I have been alive. I smiled all day long, laughed a ton at the priceless reactions and absolutely burst into tears at how heartfelt one of the thank yous was. Best. Birthday. Ever."
—Fish-x-5, Reddit
6. Go for a hike or some other kind of outdoor activity.
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Being in nature is truly transformative, y'all! If you're at all able, celebrate your most recent trip around the sun by hiking, visiting a city park, going to the zoo, or literally anything that gets your serotonin levels high.
7. Ask everyone you know who has a dog to meet up with you so you can play with some puppers.
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You can do this even —or especially! — if you don't have a dog. And if you're not a dog person, you can swap in any favorite pet.
8. A few weeks out, make a list of what would happen on your ideal day, and then try to make at least three of those things happen.
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It's a lot harder than it sounds to plan out your perfect day by the minute. There are so many slots for good food, chill hangs, and strolls through your favorite neighborhoods that it can get overwhelming. But if you're thoughtful about what you put on there, you might just get close to making your ideal day into a reality.
9. Have some people over for a cereal party.
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"Last year I had a cereal party. I bought a bunch of cereal and milk and plastic bowls and we all hung out and played games and got drunk. It was maybe my best birthday ever. I also had a lot of fun combining different cereal flavors!"
—JenniTheGhost, Reddit
10. Turn off your phone for a set period of time.
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It can be great to see the influx of happy birthday calls, texts, and social media messages, but it can also be stressful and anxiety-inducing. What if you heard from that family member? What if not as many people reached out as you expected? Is your ~feelin' yourself~ selfie getting a lot of likes? Let all of those digital worries pass for a while by turning off or putting away your phone and just living in the moment for a little.
11. Do a taste test of your favorite food or drink.
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Whether it's brands of frozen pizza, beer, or ice cream, get a sampling of the most popular brands and do a blind test to see which one really reigns supreme.
12. Plan a trip to a place you really want to visit.
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Maybe that place is Paris, but maybe it's the cute historic town center just an hour from your home. It doesn't have to be an extravagant one for it to be special; it being for your birthday is what makes it noteworthy.
13. Or stay at a local hotel and get a spa treatment and room service.
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IDK about you, but I think not having to worry about washing your sheets or towels is a pretty great birthday present to yourself.
14. Buy and open a really nice brand of your favorite alcohol, cheese, or chocolate*.
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It's your birthday, so you don't even have to share it if you don't want to!
*or any other foodstuff that can get real fancy.
15. Go to a concert of a band or musician you like.
Photo by Aditya Chinchure on Unsplash
Going to concerts alone is a surprisingly fun activity, but you can also put it out there to your friends that you're going — who knows, maybe you'll end up with a fun concert crew.
16. Have a favorite movie marathon.
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Queue up all of your faves on streaming (or buy them — it is your birthday, after all) and bask in the glow of the films that have really made an impression on you. Plus, some theaters show older movies, so check your local cinemas to see if one of your favorites happens to be playing!
17. And make a list of everything you like about yourself.
Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed
It's your day, and no one can stop you from practicing a little bit of self-love. Write down literally anything you can think of, like your best accomplishments, most positive traits, or things you'd brag about yourself all the time if it was socially acceptable.
