When the Netflix siren song starts playing, it's hard to ignore. All you need to do is settle down into the cushions of the couch, put on your warmest slippers, and kiss your social life goodbye. But there are ways to convince yourself to go out when all you want to do is turn into a hobbit. There are moments where you're very much OK with shutting your phone off, but then the other half of you thinks it'd be worthwhile meeting up with friends. But how do you get yourself to start moving? It's hard when the slippers are firmly planted on your feet.
But there are tactics for those who want to stay strong! If you want to reconnect with how the world looks outside of your apartment door, you can wage war against your sloth tendencies and put on your shoes. It might sound impossible, but you'd be surprised how much a strategically played Rihanna song and a promise of an after-social-hour treat will do. While it could be hard to remember that you actually do like your friends and you like meeting up for a cocktail or two, these tactics will help you reconnect with your social self. Below are seven ways to convince yourself to go out when all you want to do is Netflix.
1. Play Party People Music
Have you ever been out in the middle of the day — doing something like casually browsing shoes — when out of no where a banger comes on over the speakers and you instantly want a martini in one hand and your best friend at your elbow? The power of music, friends.
So if you feel dangerously close to burrito-ing yourself in a snuggie, put on your favorite dance tracks and start getting yourself in the mood. Lifestyle business builder Corbett Barr from entrepreneur site Fizzle suggested, "Play something that gets you jacked. Hint: try the playlist you use at the gym." Get that Beyonce bumping and you just might get in the mood.
2. Use It As An Excuse To Try Something Fun, Beauty Wise
Have you always wanted to try electric-hued eyeliner? Or try and bully your hair into a faux-hawk? You can't really do that on a Tuesday morning, so use this outing as an excuse to play. The idea of getting your hands into your makeup bag might get you excited to get creative and dolled up.
Lifestyle writer Tiffany Ezuma from lifestyle site College Candy offered, "When I go out, I like to test out my new clothes or way I do my makeup. I mean I can’t wear crazy winged eyeliner to my 11:00 class." Any excuse to experiment!
3. Give Yourself A "Laziness Deadline"
Just like with any other goal, you have to give yourself a deadline in order to achieve it. Lifestyle writer Thorin Klosowski from Lifehack wrote, "Deadlines and goals are one of the best ways to keep yourself on track regardless of what you're aiming for." So if you're aiming for "Get the hell out of jammies," then give yourself an end date when you have to get out of your baggy white tee and hop into the shower. Whether that's eight o'clock or whenever, knowing that there's an end date to your sloth mode will mentally prepare you into going out that night.
4. Bribe Yourself With A Reward
Tell yourself if you stop acting antisocial and go out tonight, you can get a fancy cocktail. Or you'll stop by the donut shop and get a gourmet treat, or buy ice cream on the way home. Or you can try out a crazy makeup YouTube video and have fun with it, or put on that impractical dress you've been dying to have an excuse to bring out. Bribe yourself with a reward for getting out of your sweatpants and you'll have incentive to get moving.
Klosowski offered, "It's also good to work in a reward if you meet the deadline so you can celebrate." And leaving your worn-in sweats deserves a solid celebration.
5. Think About What You Enjoy When You Go Out
Is it your hilarious friends and their stories? Is it getting to put on a fun, I'm-so-hot outfit? Is it the yummy food you get to sample down the menu? Is it the inevitable dance floor your group will eventually hit? Think about what's your favorite part of going out, and focus on that one point. Thinking about all the past memories involved with that will make you feel a little more intrigued to re-experience it again tonight.
Barr offered, "Focus on what you like about what you have to do, no matter how simple or how small." Even if it's just the fact that you like taking Instagram photos from your booth, it's still a valid point and can make you take off your slippers.
6. Think About How You'll Feel Coming Back Home
Yes, I know you're cozy on your couch and Netflix is only a lazy click away. But think about how you feel once you've had an amazing night out: How happy, giggly, and in love with your friends you are. Lifestyle writer and psychotherapist Megan Bruneau from self-development site Mind Body Green advised, "...envision how you (might) feel after the task rather than during."
Maybe you've just had an amazing dessert at a new restaurant you haven't tried yet, or maybe you spent a whole evening laughing into your napkin as your friend killed you with stories. Maybe you caught the eye of someone cute at the bar and have a date lined up for Sunday brunch, or maybe you've been reunited with a dance floor you forgot you missed.
When you think about how great you feel coming back home after a successful night out, you'll feel more inclined to get moving.
7. Go Out With A Fun Group Of Friends
Instead of going to a one on one outing with one pal, convince yourself to go out by making it a party. Invite your loudest, most fun friends to get drinks or raid a bucket of chicken wings and watch your expectations for the night begin to inch up. If it's a fairly big group, you won't have to socialize as much as you would if it was just a one on one outing (you can just listen!,) and if you happen to piece together a chatty, ruckus bunch, then you know it'll be interesting. And who knows, their mood just might rub off on you.
Eduard Ezeanu, social confidence coach from self development site Pick the Brain, wrote, "So, seek to meet individuals who are people savvy and hang out with them a lot. You’ll notice that just by doing this, your social skills will go up." So ditch the pajamas at home — follow these tips and be a social recluse no more!
Images: @abeautifulmess/Instagram
