In my book, living alone is freedom. Don’t get me wrong — I love spending time with my friends and the several guys I’m dating at any one time. But similar to a guy’s bachelor pad where he can live like a dude in all his manly glory, a gal’s homey hideaway is a liberating lair. It’s freedom from someone else’s living habits, expectations or limitations. A gal can make her own decisions on her own terms, from purchasing a living room couch to relaxing after a long workday in silence.
Unfortunately, the term “alone” often seems to imply “loneliness.” And sometimes there’s reason for that. Yet, with the right attitude (and decor) living alone is empowering, and not lonely at all. It fosters independence and the affinity to take ownership of a home as a strong, confident woman. Once I adjusted my perspective (and redecorated), I found that living without roommates was fun, relaxing and helped me to grow. Instead of arguing with or picking up after my roommate, I get to snuggle into my very own safe haven and read a book or watch whatever movie I damnwell please.
Here are five ways that helped me (and could help you!) make living alone super awesome:
Unleash Your Creativity
Your house, your rules — and that includes decorating. Making your apartment feel like YOUR home will give you a feeling of serenity and safety. You can finally arrange your photos, books and decor however you want because, hey, there’s no one else there to complain.
Design an inspired space with vintage accents and a minimalist look:
- Make a contemporary statement with velvet curtains in a rich, unconventional color scheme.
- Brighten the living room with a big, glam chandelier.
- Go exotic with a zebra-printed rug or stool.
- Create a cozy reading nook illuminated by firefly string lights.
Get a Couple of Cats
The best thing about living alone is that I get to have pets. Granted, if I had a roommate I’d have a built-in pet sitter, but I’d also have to worry about them leaving out things that could be dangerous to my little fur babies. I prefer to make a deal with a neighbor who also has pets and we help each other out when we are traveling.
Keep in mind that if you work from home then having a dog is fine, but if you work in an office you may want to get two cats instead. One pet left alone all day can get very lonely and mischievous if he or she has no one to play with. Contrary to the myths, cats are actually more affectionate to their human when they’re in multi-cat households, simply because they’re happier in general. So go to your local animal shelter and pick up two cats or siblings that have bonded.
Remember: Adopt, don’t shop. If everyone who bought a pet adopted instead, there’d be no more killings in shelters. For every pet purchased, a pet in a shelter dies because he or she doesn’t have a home. To boot, shelter pets are just as well behaved and actually have far fewer health issues than purebreds.
Relocate Anytime
The world is your oyster! Pursuing a career opportunity? Inspired to discover a new city?
- Laid back surfer-types drawn to the ocean may seek that SoCal lifestyle.
- Cyclists passionate about living green and recycling belong in Portland.
- Here’s why Hilary Rowland moved from NYC to France (plus lots of tips in case you want to do the same).
Once you change your perspective and realize that you could do, live, or be anywhere or anything, your whole world will open up. You have the freedom to make a career change and exciting move right now — and searching for a new place is all part of the adventure.
Enjoy the Power of Solitude
Your home is a personal sanctuary all to yourself. Not only can solitude be relaxing, it’s powerful. Solitude is a bit of a lost art, especially in this modern age of ultra-connectedness. Solitude is an opportunity to disconnect, contemplate, become comfortable with quietude and learn about yourself. Find peace, unwind and reflect. Embracing solitude at home may even inspire a solo trip abroad and an overseas adventure of a lifetime.
Here are a few things to do in your time alone:
- Keep a journal.
- Read some memoirs written by women.
- Paint, decorate or learn ceramics.
- Meditate and do yoga.
Become your own best friend, and you’ll never be lonely again!
Entertain!
Invite friends over for a dinner party and play hostess. This is your chance to have fun in your personal abode, and of course, show off what you’ve done to the place. Plan a theme for the evening, cook a delicious new recipe you’ve been waiting to try and cheers with a bottle of wine.
Volunteer to host a holiday get-together with your friends or family, or a birthday party for someone you care about. Take on the challenge to cook and introduce your friends to vegan food, bake pumpkin pies or decorate for a festive holiday or themed party. Or, order in! Whatever you chose to do, hosting is an enjoyable experience to be proud of.
What’s your favorite perk of living alone?
I don’t think I’m ready for living alone. Whenever I’m thinking of moving out in my parent’s house, I feel like I’m all alone in this world.
Just a friendly advice. If you’re planning to live alone, you must prepare yourself. Being independent is not easy, it may sound and look fun, but it’s not that easy.
I love the idea of decorating your home all by yourself. Isn’t it more fun, right? You are all by yourself in every decision that you’re going to make. It’s called maturity.
It’s true, there’s a lot of advantages when you live alone, but there are also some disadvantages. Always look on both sides before living alone and prepare you. Ask yourself as well if you’re ready to face the world all alone.
I can’t see myself living alone. I’m too dependent on my parents, living alone is not in my plans. I’m not ready yet on the adulthood.
Having a housemate is more fun. I can’t stand being alone for a day. I feel like, no one loves me that’s why I’m alone. Lol
I’m planning to move out and live on my own. Any suggestions where can I find a great place to stay in NYC?
I agree with you. Living alone is more fun that having a housemate. You are free to do anything in your apartment, that’s the fun part of being alone.
To each his/ her own. Some things work for others, some don’t. In my case, living alone or living with others work all the time.
I loved being with my family. They are the world to me. Waking up to fresh baked goodies and hot choco, and having to spend every waking time with the people who matter the most is heaven. These are the people I had to live with since I was a born, and it wouldn’t be too much of an effort to adjust with them each time. I mean, my parents had to adjust with all of us kids, how hard would it be for me to do it? I actually wouldn’t mind living with my parents, but they kicked me out. Apparently, it’s them who wanted the freedom. 😀
I loved living with friends (who were strangers at first), as well. I get to experience that when I was in the university. There were occasional disagreements and some quarrels, just like in a family, but nothing huge. In the end, I would say I had a grand time living with wonderful people all with different personalities. That somehow made me a much sociable being.
I loved living with a partner, too. And what I mostly miss about it is the cuddles in the morning. Again, there were times of conflicts, and at some point things just couldn’t work out anymore, and suddenly I was forced to live alone. Loneliness sinks in at first, then everything goes fine again. Everyone goes through a period like that, so it’s a perfectly normal phase to go through with.
Then, there’s me living alone. And that’s me now. I love living alone in my chaotic little world with all the mess I create, and nobody would try to check up on me. I totally love the freedom. I love spending time with myself. I don’t a bit mind the loneliness because there isn’t any, until I start watching some heavy drama or horror movies, or I start missing the cuddles, or the baked goodies my mom bakes for me, or the late night talks with my friends, etc. Those are moments when I would start remembering the people in my life and how they have contributed to my happiness. And though I am alone, I feel their presence.
There’s something good in living alone, but there are things you would miss as well. And if I can have a piece of everyone at the same time while I live a life of liberty, then life would be a paradise.
There are a lot of perks, but one I haven’t seen mentioned is having control over your social time. As an introvert, I have to “rest” (i.e. have alone time) at the end of a long day of socializing or else I can start feeling very exhausted and irritated. When I had a bunch of roommates, that was nearly impossible to do, and it made me want to hang out with people less. Now I am generally more eager to go out and do things with friends because I’ve had time to adequately recuperate.