There’s no doubt that living alone has its highs and lows. Below, we’ve rounded up nine previously published blog posts and articles that perfectly capture what it’s like to fly solo at home. We have it all covered, from secret benefits to hilariously relatable tweets to solo-dweller artwork. This reading list will leave you feeling inspired to embrace all things “me, myself, and I.”
Solo-dwellers, I’m here to tell you that you’ve made a practical, adult choice that you won’t regret. Living on your own comes with more perks than sprinkles on that ice cream sundae you’re eating with a ladle. Unlimited privacy means clothing is optional. No pants are the best pants.
Living alone gets a bad rap in our society — on top of the loneliness and security fears (if I had a nickel for every time someone asked, “Don’t you get scared all by yourself in the big city?”... well, I’d never have to complain about shouldering the whole Internet bill again) — there’s actually some hard data that solo dwellers may be worse off health-wise. But before you let that news keep you up in bed (alone) at night, consider this: I’ve found that with the right lifestyle and support network, living alone can be an incredibly positive experience.
Living alone may be simultaneously the most empowering and harrowing experience of life as a homeowner or renter. While there’s potential for unlimited calm and the sweet joy of cooking naked, there are also downsides you’d never expect unless you’ve lived alone before. We asked The Huffington Post’s Lifestyle Facebook community for things nobody tells you about living alone. Solo dwellers, take note.
When you become the only person actively deciding the stops on your road map, desires fall into place and dreams shift into possible realities. Each connection, each experience makes the picture a little less fuzzy and while it may shimmer and change, you are in charge of the developed image and you can choose to change the angle of the camera. This, like you, will change with the times but every decision you make about your life will shape you into who you’re meant to be.
About nine months into my solo living it hit me — I was enjoying my life a lot more than I did before. It was fun to choose the time to go somewhere and not have to worry about someone else’s needs. I could spontaneously take in movies that I wanted to see and loved going to restaurants during quieter hours with a book or magazine. As I embraced the pleasure of my own company, I had a big revelation. I felt less lonely being alone than I did when I danced to do favors and treated to keep friends around.
6. 13 Ways You Own Your Inner Slob When You Live Alone
Nothing says freedom like leaving dirty socks on the floor for weeks on end or eating dinner in front of the TV. Growing up, most families had rules that forbade us from doing all the fun things — or should we say, all the lazy/unclean things. Now that we are full-blown adults — OK, adults may be a strong word, but we’re at least living on our own — we can do whatever our little hearts desire. We don’t take our shoes off when we come in the door, we use up all the hot water and just basically turn into monsters.
7. The Uncensored Truth About Living Alone
As anyone who’s ever had a terrible roommate will admit, all it takes is one horror story and the idea of living alone suddenly becomes exponentially more appealing. But before you go through studio listings on Craigslist, it might be worth it to take a minute to decide if flying solo is all that you’ve cracked it up to be. And in order to help you do that, we’re going to start by debunking a few myths about living alone.
8. 16 Undeniably Great Things About Living Alone Again After A Split
When you’ve spent years or decades with your spouse, the thought of living on your own again post-split can be a terrifying one. But before you know it, you’ll not only get used to living on your own — you’ll embrace it. Take it from HuffPost Divorce readers. Here they share what they love most about having the whole house to themselves since the divorce.
Living alone definitely has its moments. In fact, it can be downright awesome. And Yaoyao Ma Van As, a 34-year-old painter and illustrator in Los Angeles, has captured the intimate beauty of those instances in a series of gorgeous drawings.
Living alone has some amazing perks, like sleeping diagonally across your bed or eating directly from the ice cream carton without any outside judgment. But let’s be real here: there are also some obvious drawbacks. Case in point: Freaking out over any minor noise after a horror movie commercial comes on. We’ve collected 24 hilariously relatable tweets from people who are all too familiar with the highs and lows of living alone.
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