More and more people are living alone today: it is estimated that, in the United States, 1 in 4 individuals live in complete autonomy. There are numerous advantages to making this choice: no one to fight for possession of the remote control or to judge yourself if you want to eat a sandwich in your underwear in the middle of the night. However, the downside is that you can feel lonely when you don't find anyone when you come home. Read on to learn how to make the most of this experience.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Take Care of Yourself
Step 1. Interact with the rest of the world
Since you risk isolating yourself and listening to negative thoughts, try hard not to marginalize yourself from the rest of the world. Say hello to the neighbors and call them by name. Open the windows and let the light in. Go out and go to the park or a new café. Avoid your life starting and ending in your apartment.
- Seek the company of friends. Organize a book club or weekly meetings after dinner so that you can relate to other people on a regular basis.
- If you don't know anyone, it is essential to meet someone. For example, if you like rock climbing, sign up for a gym that offers you the chance to cultivate this passion or join a group to share it with.
Step 2. Get to know yourself
When you live alone, you have plenty of time to pursue your passions. Meditate, write a journal, and try your hand at whatever makes you happy. It has been shown that by becoming familiar with your strengths and using them in something greater (for example, making yourself available to those in need), you can feel happier.
- Find out what accentuates your sense of loneliness. Think about the moments when loneliness is strongest and be prepared to counter it. Do you feel sad when you return to an empty apartment after work or school? Plan your day so that you have something to do, such as taking a Zumba class, allowing for enough time to get home, get changed, and go out again.
- Reflect on the best sides of your life alone, whether it's drinking straight from the bottle, cleaning in your underwear, peeing with the bathroom door open, or letting yourself go however you like.
Step 3. Adopt a pet
A furry friend hanging around the house can ease the burden of loneliness. Pets satisfy our natural need for contact and companionship, helping to manage stress.
- According to some studies, pet owners are healthier and have a longer life span. A four-legged friend can actually lower blood pressure.
- Pets can structure everyday life: you have to feed them, take care of them and take them for a walk at certain times. Therefore, by attending to their needs, you will be incentivized to distract yourself.
- For example, a pet that needs physical activity, such as a dog, will encourage you to get up and move - it will benefit your health.
- Remember that caring for a pet involves a long-term commitment, so you have to choose it considering your lifestyle. If you are away from home most of the day, a dog is not the best solution. A cat, rabbit, or reptile might be a better choice.
Step 4. Try to adopt some self-discipline
Of course, one of the best things about living alone is that you can wear sweatpants and a shabby shirt all day without being accountable to anyone. However, if you go into a state of apathy and don't take care of yourself - you stop washing and dressing well, you stop exercising, you eat too much or too little - you risk falling into depression quickly. It is up to you to take care of yourself.
- Get out of bed and dress decently every day, even if you don't have to go anywhere. You can fight loneliness with a little effort.
- Typically, a person who fixes their bed every morning is more productive, self-disciplined, and comfortable with themselves. It's a great way to start the day on the right foot.
- Also, try to control your vices. If you know you can't buy a bottle of wine without draining it all, leave it on the supermarket shelf or buy something to drink in a smaller package.
Step 5. Make a plan in case you get sick
One of the major drawbacks of living alone is the lack of someone (a roommate, spouse, or family member) to help you care or rush to the pharmacy when you get sick. Prepare by stocking the medicine cabinet with thermometer, antipyretic, pain reliever (such as ibuprofen), nasal decongestant, and cough syrup.
- Also have essential first aid products on hand, such as antibiotic ointment, gauze and patches, denatured alcohol, and pain reliever.
- This is another reason not to underestimate the friendship with your neighbors: if you get sick, you can go to them to buy medicines or ask for the pleasure of cooking you something hot, like chicken broth.
Step 6. Learn to cook just for yourself
There are a number of cooking manuals and dedicated websites that teach you how to make delicious and flavorful dishes for one person. So, you don't have to eat the same food for five consecutive days, nor do you have to grab something to take away every night.
- Use leftovers creatively. Turn the leftover steak the night before into a taco, using it to stuff a tortilla with some lime and salsa, or make a whole new dish by skipping yesterday's veggies with some pasta.
- Plan your meals and the menu of the week in advance to make shopping easier. You will reduce waste if you know how to use the food in the right quantities.
Step 7. Realize that your life will not be like this forever
Just because you have been living alone now or for some time does not mean that your life cannot change. By learning to be happy and reward yourself, you will be able to establish long-term friendships and relationships.
Part 2 of 2: Taking Care of the House
Step 1. Schedule Household Cleaning
When you live alone, you may give up running the house either because you think no one sees the clutter or because there is no one to share chores with. However, under these conditions, your home risks becoming a pest receptacle and lack of maintenance can lead to increasingly costly damage over time, regardless of the loss of the security deposit. Therefore, organize weekly housekeeping so they don't pile up on the weekend. By tidying up a little every day, you will get into the habit of keeping the house clean.
- Start with the bathroom. As mold, stains, and fungus build up in the toilet, they become harder to remove with each passing day (plus, it's a really disgusting sight). If you regularly clean the shower and toilet, you won't have to struggle to get rid of the dirt deposited between the tile joints.
- Hire a cleaning company if you feel discouraged. Entrust this task to qualified professionals who will polish your home. The bulk of the work will be up to them, while you will be left with the routine cleaning.
- Disorder also has a detrimental effect on mental well-being. It is a source of enormous stress, it can even aggravate the symptoms of depression and sadness. It can also negatively affect body weight gain. By keeping your home clean, you will also be able to improve your mood.
Step 2. Decorate the house according to your tastes
The environment you live in affects your well-being, so try to make your home a welcoming place to spend your time pleasantly. Don't hesitate to paint a wall purple, hang a quirky picture or adopt an ultra-modern style. Allow yourself any changes as long as it makes you feel good. Plus, living alone, you don't have to compromise with anyone - for example, you won't have to accept a creepy collection of your roommate's dolls.
- If you buy a bulky item or want to carry a huge dresser across the room, don't get hurt trying to fix it yourself. Disassemble the furniture, eventually removing drawers and legs. Don't be afraid to ask for help if a piece of furniture is too heavy to move, even if you have to pay someone.
- Don't forget to customize the outdoor areas as well. By arranging the yard, cultivating the garden or even putting a flower pot on the porch, you can make outdoor spaces as special as indoor ones.
Step 3. Install a security system
To protect your valuables as well as your safety (not only physical, but also mental at the thought that a thief might break into your home), take the necessary precautions, for example by installing armored doors and windows. If you are concerned about break-ins, consider installing a security system (consult your landlord first if you have a lease). There are many do-it-yourself wireless burglar alarm systems that you can take apart if you move.
- If you decide to get a pet, a guard dog can be useful in these cases. It does not need to be large in size: sometimes, small ones are very noisy. Dog barking can be used to dissuade someone from breaking into the house.
- Getting to know your neighbors is also helpful: if they see someone unfamiliar looking around your house, they can alert you or call the police directly. Also, you can organize yourself to supervise and check that everything is okay if one notices suspicious silence in the other's home.
Step 4. Schedule the intervention of the technicians
If you have a plumbing problem and don't work from home, it may be difficult to make an appointment for a repair. Try to fix it at the start or end of the work day so you don't have to mess with your plans. If you trust it, ask the homeowner to get the technician on your behalf and show him the damage to fix.
