When Going Out Becomes a Lifestyle

It can be difficult to understand why some people make going out every weekend their entire personality. It is as though every Friday and Saturday nights have to involve doing something with friends. They can never just stay home, relax, and enjoy a quiet night. Instead, there always has to be a party, a dinner, a bar, a club, or some kind of plan.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with going out and being social. It’s great to see friends, make memories, and have fun experiences. But you are not proving anything to anyone by doing this all the time.

Somewhere along the way, we began to put pressure on ourselves to always have weekend plans. And when we don’t, it can suddenly feel like we are missing out—especially after opening social media and scrolling past someone’s wild night out. We almost begin to feel like losers. For some people, going out becomes so consuming that staying home is almost never an option.

But why?

Like, hello, we are not getting any younger, and realistically, life is not going to look this way forever. At what point do we grow out of the mentality that every weekend has to be booked? In reality, people will have an exhausting week at work, feel completely drained from a long day, or simply not feel their best and will still jump through hoops to make sure they do not miss a night out.

Again, going out is not the problem. But when you begin to sacrifice your health, your energy, or your social battery because you are experiencing FOMO, then is it really worth it?

Whatever happened to staying in on a Friday or Saturday night and being perfectly content with it? When did that stop being the norm? Why does a good weekend seemingly depend on partying, drinking, or expensive dinners? Sometimes, the experience itself is not enough—it, of course, has to be followed by an Instagram post to prove to everyone that you have friends, consistent plans, and an exciting social life.

There are plenty of other ways to enjoy your weekend. Stay at home and watch a movie. Spend time with family. Have a reset day. Organize your home. Or simply do absolutely nothing. A good time does not always require a reservation, a crowded bar, or the city's hottest club.

And let’s not even get started on blowing off plans with family or neglecting basic adult responsibilities just to go out. Your family has a get-together? Sorry, I can't make it—I already have plans. Sometimes, what that really seems to mean is, “I have something better and more exciting to do than spend time with you.” Have household chores on your to-do list? Yeah, those can wait too. The apartment can stay a mess for a bit longer while I have a great night out. At what point does constantly prioritizing plans over the rest of your life stop? Eventually, it starts looking less like a love of being social and more like an obsession with never slowing down.

We should bring back the calm and casual weekends where there was never any pressure to prove that we were constantly doing something. It is okay to be home. It is okay to be alone. It is okay if your social life is not packed every weekend. It’s not lame—it’s actually normal.

Not always having plans does not make a person boring, a loser, or even lonely. Some may simply prefer the calm over the constant rush, and sometimes, the best plans are no plans at all.