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Mardy, Roving reporter

The Benefits of a Night In

Everyone loves a party! It’s great to go out to a club or house party and have a few drinks, meet new people, catch up with old friends and dance a little (or a lot), but when it happens too often it’s also exhausting - physically, emotionally and financially.

Not only that, but after a while partying can become boring and repetitive. When it gets to the point where you’re tired and broke, and frankly maybe you can’t be bothered, then it’s probably time to decline that next Facebook invitation and have a night in.

The Benefits of a Night In

The youth culture of today places a great significance on partying. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that (as long as it’s done responsibly), but this can also mean young people feel pressured to go out as often as possible.

With photos of friends out partying plastered all over Facebook and countless shots of celebrities donning fancy cocktails on the pages of magazines, the party lifestyle has come to seem like the ideal lifestyle. This leads to feelings of guilt, friendlessness or of being left out when we end up home alone on a Saturday night.

Every now and then, though, we need to accept that it's necessary to escape the excitement for a night and stay in. When you don’t really feel like going out, for whatever particular reason, you probably shouldn’t. Staying home might seem like the end of the world, but there will always be more parties in the future and you can have a good night at home too.

Staying in when you have the opportunity to go out might seem awfully lonely, but there are plenty of great reasons to do it (saving money for one - drinks are expensive!).

How about your poor body? If you’re human chances are that you’re a little burnt out from work/school/partying/all of the above; give your body the rest it needs and relish the rewards in the morning. Staying home gives you that much-needed time to relax, take a break from spending cash and get things done.

You don’t have to miss out on the social factor either. If your friends want to go out, suggest spending time together at your place instead. A night in with friends is a much better way to connect with people than screaming at each other over Rihanna’s latest.

Things to Do on a Night In

Whether you’re home alone or with friends, staying in doesn’t have to mean you’re missing out. Here are some great ways to spend a night in.

Cook Dinner

Whether you’re Australia’s next Masterchef or you follow the instructions on the back of the packet, cooking can be a relaxing activity. You can do it on your own, as part of a romantic night with your boyfriend/girlfriend, or a hysterical night in with friends. Devouring the tasty results is only the second-best part.

Board Games/Card Games

Open that long-forgotten cupboard and blow the dust off of those boxes. Twister, Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo, Trivial Pursuit, Chess.. The great memories that are associated with these games are just as great today! Don’t believe me? Then prove me wrong.

Have a BBQ

There is a reason that this backyard feast is an old time tradition, and while you might save the snags for Grand Final Day, New Year's or Australia Day, BBQs with friends and family are a great occasion all year round. There’s nothing better than dinner with people you care about under the stars on a summer night, but it's best if you skip this option in winter.

Play Video Games

What better way to spend a night with friends than saving the world from a zombie apocalypse, or thrashing your best friend at Mario Kart? Enough said.

Go to Bed Early

This sounds a little lame, but with life’s business piling up on us, chances are it's sleep that's being pulled back to make room for the other stuff. Jump into your warm bed and get that amazing full night of sleep that you’ve been craving for weeks.

Movie Night

Whether you’re on your own or with friends, everyone loves a movie night - everyone! Spend a night curled up with a few old-time classics or watch a new-release blockbuster - the night is yours.

Spend Time with Family

This might sound like horror movie material, but bear with me. Family nights often turn into priceless family memories. If not, I'll take the blame. Catch up with your family by reminiscing over old music with your parents or doing any of the other activities on this list with your brothers or sisters.

Cross Something off Your To Do List

Bear with me here: no-one wants to decline a party invitation so they can do homework or fill out those important forms that have been sitting there for ages, but it’s always good to get things done instead of continuing to worry about them. There’s no need to stick to boring chores, though - why not do something you’ve wanted to do for a while but haven’t gotten around to, like making some memes or writing an epic novel about vampires? No? Ok, well, whatever's on your list is fine, then.

Have a Great Night In!

So the next time you’re feeling burnt out from too much socialising, why not politely decline that last-minute party text? When you wake up the next morning after a perfectly decent evening, feeling refreshed and alive instead of hungover and afraid for the prosperity of your savings account, you won’t regret it. You’ll just be twice as pumped for the next party.

Enjoy your sleep folks, and have a great night in!

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