How to Live Alone

I’ve previously written about living alone, but that primarily focused on things that I had learned from living alone/sharing my personal experience. In this article I want to focus more on giving practical advice to people who are looking to live alone or already are doing so.

I said this in the last article, but I think it bears repeating: I think that everyone can learn something and grow by living alone, but I don’t think that everyone is the right type of person to be able to live by themself, for any number of reasons. Additionally, I know that it is a privilege to be able to live alone, and not one that should be taken for granted.

1. Liven up the place: even though you live alone your home doesn’t have to be dead
   • Break the silence with music, podcasts, TV, etc.
     • Listen to music from radio, NTS, YouTube DJ sets, playlists, vinyl, etc.
     • Listen to podcasts (or watch video podcasts)
     • Watch live TV (digital antenna or cheap streaming app),
     • Get a nice speaker and play music from records/CDs or just from your phone
   • Get plants or a pet
     • Both take responsibility but you should especially not jump blindly into getting a pet just because you’re lonely
   • Surround yourself with decor (objects, art, etc.) that makes you happy
2. Plan your socialization: even if you are an introvert you really should get small human interactions
   • For small stakes interactions go to a store or somewhere with a predictable social script
   • Plan lunch or dinner meetings with friends and family that are close by
   • If you don’t want to leave the house you can always call a friend or play online games with people
3. Get out of the house!
   • Go to in person activities near by (by yourself or with others)
   • Study, read, work, or hang out in other places like cafes, bars, or libraries
   • Go on a walk or find a gym that allows you to have somewhere to go other than your house on a regular basis
4. Take advantage of what living alone has to offer you
   • Dance because nobody’s watching
   • Laugh or cry loudly at movies or talk out loud during them
   • Host people/dinners/parties/sleepovers
   • Play your own music or podcasts out loud instead of using headphones
   • Leave things out if you stop in the middle of a task and resume it later