Most of us grew up in a shared home, whether it’s growing up with our families and relatives, or moving in with friends during college, we are accustomed to sharing a home with someone else. Later in life, the time comes that our living arrangement changes and for some, this means living alone.
According to USA Today, about 1 in every 10 Americans live alone and more than 1 in every 4 households are made up of only one individual.
While living alone is certainly a great milestone for many of us, this change can also be heart-wrenching. After sharing meals with your family and seeing them every morning after you wake up your whole life, the sudden change of living arrangement can be very challenging and sometimes, depressing.
Everyone can agree on three things when it comes to living solo: it comes with a lot of responsibility, decisions and most of all, a lot of expenses. In this challenging transition, it helps to be aware of what’s to come. Here are three things you need to remember before you start living alone:
Look for extra security
One of the most feared consequences of living alone is not having anyone to go to in times of danger. If you’re the kind of person who becomes anxious whenever you hear a creak in your home, it would be wise to invest in extra security for your peace of mind. Installing added security features such as interior door chains and alarm systems will help in making you feel secure.
Be prepared to do all the chores
Now that you’re living alone, perhaps one of the things that you’re looking forward to is no one nagging you about your mess. At the same time, now you’re living alone, there is no one to blame about the mess but yourself. Make sure to take a few minutes every day to tidy up.
Avoid the urge to just place your dirty clothes on that one chair in your apartment every night. Before you know it, the amount of dirty clothes in your room has spiralled out of control. Whether you prefer doing it by yourself or going to the laundry and dry cleaning company of your choice, don’t put it off for too long. You don’t want to get to a point that you have run out of anything to wear, do you?
Go out or invite people over
Once you have settled in your new home, you might like the solo time too much. The urge to stay home all day every weekend will be strong, and you might feel like not going outside again anymore. Avoid falling into this lifestyle and isolating yourself from the outside world.
According to a 2019 research published in PLOS ONE, adults who live alone are more likely to have mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. So push yourself to constantly go out or invite people to your place. That way, you can still have regular interaction with friends and avoid loneliness.
Different people have different opinions about living alone. For some, it is a lifelong dream. For these people, nothing is better than being able to life completely as they wish and have complete control of their time. On the other hand, there are people who prefer living with friends or a partner, and living alone is something they never dream of doing.
