How to love Your time alone: even the most social chicks occasionally find themselves flying solo. Take full advantage with these party-of-one tips and tricks.

Sure, you may have a guy in the picture and/or a ton of friends, but regardless, there are still going to be times when you have no one to hang with but yourself. It could be one of those weekends when everyone's out of town or a random evening when your girls are MIA, your man's busy, and you're sitting around waiting for signs of life to radiate from your cell phone. You could go with option A--stay put with your butt glued to the couch--or option B--milk this opportunity to be a free agent for 'all it's worth and have some fun, dammit.

"Taking the initiative to maximize your 'alone time not only increases your confidence, it makes you feel more in control of your life," says therapist Karen Gail Lewis, EdD, author of With or Without a Man. But first things first, before you're really able to savor your own company, you need to switch into mental stag mode. We have strategies to do just that, plus the best ways to handle various single-woman moments and a lineup of great solo activities to try. You may find yourself turning your phone to mute next weekend ... intentionally.

Solo on the Go

According to a 2005 Fodor's study done of 1,000 people, 34 percent of women have traveled alone for pleasure in the previous three years.

Getting Into the Single State of Mind

MANTRA

BEING ALONE DOESN'T MEAN I'M LONELY