Living alone can be tremendously freeing. No longer do you have to share refrigerator space with someone, or fight for your duvet covers at night, or worry about leaving the toilet seat up or down. Yet the truth is that even though people feel various degrees of loneliness over time, we do need companions and social contact to live as our best selves.
It’s perfectly valid to live alone, of course, and it’s important to note there’s nothing wrong with you if you prefer this state of affairs. After all, it’s unlikely you’re a shut-in who rarely leaves your four walls. However, it does mean that making time to socialize and contribute with other people should be a little higher on your list, because with remote working, home hobbies and entertainment, and even home exercise gear, it’s very easy to live at home for long stretches without making room for a social life.
In this post, then, we’ll discuss how to combat loneliness while living alone:
Bake Socialzing Into Your Schedule
Socializing doesn’t always require going to a brand-new place for the first time and meeting hordes of new people. You just need to get the ball of momentum rolling in a way that you can repeat. If you have a job you need to attend in-person, then going to an afterwork event from time to time can’t hurt. It may even help you meet new people.
From there, you might join a club or a hobbyist group. A writing club, a photography group, or even taking a language course at night can help you meet new people. After all, to be social you only really need to have fun with a couple of people from time to time, as you move into adulthood you won’t need to socialize every single night to feel the positive effects of good friendship.
Moreover, when you engage in activities that you enjoy, you’re more likely to meet like-minded people who see the value in your passions too. In some cases, this might even lead to textures friendships. For example, if you head to your local allotment and try your hand at gardening, odds are you’ll make an older friend, too. It can be healthy to have friendships, or at least positive relationships, with people your age and older, as this way you get a whole range of life experiences to discuss.
Meet Your Neighbors
Neighbors come in all shapes and sizes, sometimes good, sometimes bad. It can be good to meet them, though, even if that only tells you who to avoid. Sometimes, you may make friends with a neighbor, and invite them for a coffee from time to time, or get all the latest gossip from your street.
Moreover, if you have good relationships with those in your immediate vicinity, you’ll be able to ask for help when you need it, or ask them to turn their television volume down without issues, and all of the usual benefits of having good neighborly relations. It might not substitute a social life elsewhere, but it will remain a nice bonus to work with.
Consider Bringing A Pet Home
Having a small furry companion to bring home can be a wonderful use of your time, especially if you work from home often. If you usually work in the office for eight or more hours a day, then it can be a bad idea to leave a furry friend alone for so long (remember, they’re part of your life, but you’re all of theirs).
However, if your lifestyle is compatible, then your pet can genuinely offer you wonderful companionship that helps add so much to your life. Walking them, training them, grooming them, and just cuddling with them in front of a television show can mean so much. It’s why elderly relatives who live alone are often helped tremendously if given a furry friend to look after. You can view this web page to see the benefits of bringing a certain friendly breed home.
Try Hobby Apps
If you’re feeling adventurous, then there are many opportunities out there to find new groups and clubs. For example, Meetup is a popular app to find clubs, events and hobby groups in your local area.
This way, you can give one event a go to see if you enjoy it, and to meet new people there. Perhaps you’ll be able to learn tap dancing just for fun, or head to a yoga class for beginners. The beauty of this is that you can keep trying new things until you find something that sticks. For example, you may find a fantastic amateur acting group that helps you express yourself outside of work, even though you had never considered doing that before.
If you can get over that initial hump of worry, you may just add some real beauty into your life.
Get Involved In Community Activities
Volunteering in your local community is a great way to meet new and caring people who genuinely care about making your neighborhood a better place. This might be a homeless shelter that helps feed the vulnerable, or a litter-picking group that goes around and cleans up the local parks.
Community activities can also be beneficial for those who want to meet new people, because while the efforts you go to might not be social in terms of the main purpose, you’ll certainly get to meet those in your area, and those who care about the area too. It might be you volunteer to help with the local winter event for the turn-on of the Christmas lights, or you help with a gardening bloom competition for your town.
Again, this is an effort that helps you meet a diverse range of people, not just those in your age category or income level. Those types of friendships tend to be the most enjoyable and worthwhile to deal with.
With this advice, you’re sure to prevent loneliness even if you’re living alone, as being active in your community and going to in-person events helps you avoid stay-at-home-itis.
