More and more people are now choosing to live alone. In the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 4 people live alone. There are lots of advantages to living alone – no fighting over the remote control, no one commenting if you want to eat a meat sandwich in the middle of the night in just your underwear. However, you can feel lonely when no one greets you when you come home. Read on to learn how to live alone in the best possible way.
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Part 1 of 2: Taking Care of Yourself
Step 1. Engage with the outside world
It will be too easy for you to isolate yourself and let negative thoughts fill your mind. So you should try not to isolate yourself from the outside world, no matter how small your efforts. Greet your neighbors and memorize their names. Open your windows and let the light in. Go outside and spend some time in the park or a new coffee shop. Don't make your home your whole world.
- Make sure you spend time with friends. Hold a book club or plan dinner so you'll still be interacting with other people each week.
- If you don't know anyone in your area, you should try to meet other people. If you like hiking, visit a climbing practice center and make an appointment to get together.
Step 2. Know yourself
Living alone will give you plenty of time to figure out what stirs you up. Meditate, keep a journal, experiment with things that make you happy. Learning your unique strengths and applying them to something of greater importance to you (eg using your woodworking skills to help Habitat for Humanity Indonesia) will increase your happiness.
- Learn what triggers feelings of loneliness. Think about a time when loneliness really hit you and make a plan to get rid of it. Do you feel very disappointed when you find an empty apartment after work and school? Schedule an activity, such as taking a Zumba class, that will give you enough time to get home, change and get out again.
- Discover the best parts of living alone, whether it's sipping a drink straight out of the carton, cleaning the house in your underwear, peeing with the door open, and pampering yourself.
Step 3. Adopt a pet
Bringing a furry friend home can reduce the loneliness you may experience living alone. Your pet will fulfill your natural need for touch and companionship, which can help you deal with stress.
- Research shows that people who own pets live healthier lives and have longer life spans. Having a pet can lower your blood pressure.
- Pets can give you structure in your everyday life: they need to be fed, walked and cared for. This can prevent you from thinking about yourself and caring more about your pet's needs.
- Pets need exercise. Dogs, for example, can improve your physical health while you take care of them.
- Remember that owning a pet is a long-term commitment, so make sure you choose one that fits your lifestyle. If you spend a lot of time outdoors all day, then a dog may not be the right animal for you. Cats, rabbits or reptiles may be better choices.
Step 4. Practice self-discipline
Of course, one of the best things about living alone is that you can wear sweatpants and an old t-shirt all day without being judged. But if you sink into a state of apathy and don't practice self-care-such as quitting bathing, dressing, exercising or eating too much or too little-you can quickly fall into depression. The way to maintain responsibility in these matters can be done at your own pace.
- Force yourself to get up and get dressed every day, even if you have no plans to leave the house. Even the slightest effort can make a difference in the fight against loneliness.
- People who make their bed in the morning tend to be more productive, disciplined and feel better about themselves. This is a great way to start your day off on a good note.
- It also means you need to control your bad habits. If you know you're going to end up draining the entire bottle of wine if you buy it, then you shouldn't buy it or buy something smaller.
Step 5. Make a plan in case you fall ill
Getting the flu when you don't have a roommate, husband or wife, or family member to help care for you or go to the pharmacy to buy medicine can be a downside to living alone. Be on the lookout and keep your medications neatly in the drawer along with thermometers, fever and pain relievers (such as ibuprofen), nasal congestion relievers, and cough drops.
- Also stock up on first aid kits, such as antibiotic ointment, gauze and bandages, rubbing alcohol, and pain relievers.
- This is another benefit of getting to know your neighbors-if you get sick, you can call them for medicine or bring you drinks and chicken noodle soup.
Step 6. Learn to cook for yourself
There are many cookbooks and websites that focus on learning how to make delicious and dynamic meals for single households. You don't have to live on the same food five days in a row, or buy food out every night.
- Learn to use leftovers in creative ways. Use leftover steak to make martabak with gravy and pickles, or mix your leftover vegetables with a little pasta for a whole new dish.
- Plan your food menu at the beginning of the week to make your shopping process easier. Knowing what you are going to use and how much you need will eliminate the possibility of any material being wasted.
Step 7. Realize that this is not a thing to do forever
Just because you are alone for now, or have been alone for a long time, doesn't mean you always will be. Learning to make yourself happy, self-sufficient and self-fulfilling, can make you more successful in making and maintaining friendships and relationships with others.
Part 2 of 2: Taking Care of Your Home
Step 1. Set a schedule for cleaning your house
It can be easy to leave your home alone when you're living alone, perhaps because you're assuming no one is going to notice the mess in your house or you don't have friends to share cleaning with. But a messy home will attract pests and can cause damage that can end up being very expensive to repair later on or even cost you your savings. Schedule small tasks throughout the week so they don't pile up and interfere with your weekend. Doing small things one at a time every day will also get you used to keeping the house clean.
- Start by cleaning the bathroom. As dirt, toilet stains and mold build up, it becomes more and more difficult to clean day after day (not to mention very disgusting). If you use a small shower spray and toilet bowl cleaner on a regular basis, you won't have to work so hard to scrub the black stains in the gaps between your bathroom tiles later on.
- Hire a cleaning company if the work feels too much to do alone. Let the professionals do a deep clean of your home. That way, cleaning the house can be done simply by keeping your home in good shape rather than doing big cleaning projects.
- A messy situation can also have an impact on your mental well-being. This is a direct source of severe stress and can lead to feelings of depression and sadness. It can even be linked to an unhealthy weight. Keeping the house clean will make you happy.
Step 2. Decorate the house according to your taste
The state of your home has a direct impact on you, so take the time to make your home a place you truly enjoy and feel comfortable living in. Paint the walls with purple accents, hang that whimsical painting, or give your home an ultra-mod concept. Anything that makes you feel good. The plus point: You don't have to compromise and accommodate someone else's collection of hideous dolls.
If you're shopping for heavy items or decide to move your bulky makeup to the other side of the room, don't hurt yourself doing it yourself. Remove as many pieces of furniture as you can (remove drawers and legs). Don't be afraid to ask for help if the furniture is too heavy, even if you need to hire someone else to help
Step 3. Install a security system
To take care of your valuables as well as yourself, (not only yourself physically if someone breaks into your home, but also your mental health so you don't have to worry all the time about burglars), take precautions such as buying door locks. and strong windows. Consider installing a security system (ask your landlord if you live in an apartment) if you are really worried about an intruder. Many wireless security systems are self-constructed and can be taken with you when you move.
- If you decide to adopt a dog to accompany you, the animal can also be used as a guard dog. You don't need a big dog either-sometimes the smallest dogs make the loudest noises. The sound is enough to keep people from breaking into your house.
- Getting to know your neighbors can also help-if they see someone snooping around your house, they can alert you (or the police). Or you can make an appointment with your neighbors to check on each other's homes if one of them sounds quiet and suspicious.
Step 4. Make a plan to contact a home improvement service
If you have plumbing problems and you don't work at home, it may be a challenge to schedule repairs. Try to schedule the first or last shift of the day so you don't have to leave work. If you trust your landlord, he or she may want to see a repairman on the spot, so you don't have to be home at the time.
Related article
- Ways to Meet New People Without Looking Creepy
- How to Enjoy Solitude
- How To Deal With Life As Single And Feeling Lonely
- How to Clean the House
