Why More People Are Prioritizing Social Fitness Over Another Night at the Bar and Rethinking How They Spend Time Together
Weeknight nights out do not have to mean another restaurant reservation or a crowded bar. Open mics, improv classes, trivia and craft nights offer cheaper, more memorable alternatives that psychologists say may actually be better for your relationships and friendships.
“Not exercising your social fitness is hazardous to your health,” Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told Outside.
“When you lose emotional and social fitness, you lose everything,” Emily Anhalt, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Coa, a gym for mental health, told Outside. “Everything in life is going to feel better if you feel connected to other people to get through the tough things and enjoy the good things.”
What are the best nights out that aren’t dinner or drinks?
The best low-key alternatives to dinner and drinks include open mic nights, improv shows, stand-up comedy, trivia nights, karaoke and craft classes like jewelry making, pottery and paint-and-sip sessions.
These options tend to run cheaper than a restaurant outing and often prove more memorable. Open mics show up in bars, coffee shops and community spaces in most cities, and no two nights are alike. Local comedy shows are usually more intimate than big touring acts, and shared laughter is a fast track to bonding. Trivia runs weekly at many pubs, giving groups a competitive excuse to argue about random facts. Karaoke can happen in a public room or a private booth for a more contained experience.
Craft classes give couples and friend groups something tangible to take home. Jewelry-making workshops use silver, brass, copper and gold, with some three-hour sessions turning out a finished silver ring. Pottery studios let you throw a piece from scratch or paint pre-made ceramics.
Why are open mic nights and improv classes worth trying with friends?
Open mics and improv nights combine unpredictable entertainment with the kind of shared vulnerability that psychologists say deepens social bonds. They are also cheaper than most concerts or theater tickets.
Watching improv is reliably funny because performers work without a script. Taking a class goes further, forcing participants out of their comfort zones in a way that fast-tracks connection with the people in the room. Stand-up shows offer a similar payoff without the pressure of getting on stage. Local comedy nights are often cheaper and more intimate than the big touring acts, and the shared laughter creates instant bonding.
Open mic nights carry the same low-stakes charm, and the mix of performers means no two evenings look alike. For anyone burned out on the same restaurant rotation, these are the kinds of nights out that make a Tuesday feel different from a Thursday.
What craft classes are trending in 2026?
Craft workshop attendance climbed sharply in 2024, according to Eventbrite’s 2025 fourth spaces report, with crochet events up 44% and jewelry-making events up 34%.
General interest in collage, crafting and pottery is also rising. Jewelry classes offer silver, brass, copper and gold, and some three-hour sessions send you home with a finished ring. Others span multiple weeks and become a recurring ritual. Paint-and-sip nights, popular with friend groups, work just as well with a partner.
Art cafés have emerged as a distinct category. “Socialization culture, particularly for adults outside of school, has become really centered around eating and drinking. I think we’ve been successful because we’ve provided another option for people to do something with their friends outside their house,” Tayler Carraway, co-founder of the New York City art café Happy Medium, told Vogue.
How do new activities together improve relationships?
A 2000 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that couples who took part in “novel” and “arousing” activities together reported higher relationship quality and increased passion.
The couples in that study ranged from two months to 15 years together, and the improvement showed up after a task as short as seven minutes. An earlier 1993 study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships tracked more than 50 married couples doing weekly activities they described as “exciting” or “pleasant” over 10 weeks, with similar results.
The takeaway for date planning is that novelty matters more than expense. An improv class, a pottery wheel or a first-ever trivia team can do the same work as an elaborate outing. Trying something neither person has done before produces the effect researchers measured.
What does research say about friendship and social connection?
People with close friends are more satisfied with life and less likely to suffer from depression, according to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Research in PLOS Medicine also links strong social ties to a lower risk of dying from all causes, including heart problems and chronic diseases.
Psychologists say platonic connection should be actively promoted in schools, workplaces, public spaces and entertainment. “After having to reduce social contact during the pandemic, we’ve realized how it impacts basically every sector of society. That suggests that each of these sectors can potentially play a role in solutions,” Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, told the American Psychological Association.
“What we know is that if we don’t interact regularly, things go really bad remarkably fast,” Holt-Lunstad added. “But what is the magic in these interactions that’s keeping us healthy and sane? More and more researchers are saying there’s this huge part of human behavior we know very little about. Let’s change that.”
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
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