How to Live Alone: What to Expect & How to Prepare

Living alone for the first time comes with a whole new set of realizations that while some are straight forward and probably expected, not all may have crossed your mind. As an extrovert who’s mainly lived with someone for most of his life, I can say that moving into an apartment alone was definitely scary for me. However, over time I have learned more about myself and how to better handle living alone. Here’s what I have learned when going from living with a roommate to living alone for the first time.

Why Would You Want to Live Alone?

While there are many reasons you may be heading into the next chapter of living alone, while scary there may be some light to shed on living alone. For instance, it’s the start of a new chapter of your life, you can create a space that matches your personality through decorating freely, create new systems for your life, and so many more benefits.

Of course, everyone is different and will view the transitions in different lights, I am excited for you. As an extrovert, my biggest fear was never seeing my friends or communicating with others. What I’ve learned is that while I am apart from others, I have more control in how I start my day and reach out to those around me. If you are an introvert, perhaps you’ll enjoy the ability to explore different activities without interruption.

Learning How to Live Alone

What Can You Expect When You First Move?

When you first move to your own apartment or home, you can expect mixed emotions. This is normal and expected since you will likely feel scared, happy, sad, accomplished, and other emotions depending on many factors. However, whether good or bad, you will quickly realize that this new space is yours and you are in full control of your destiny which is amazing!

The Cost

Beyond the emotional side of things, you can also expect the cost of everything to show up. For me, I was concerned about the moving truck, buying new furniture, restocking food and supplies, along with the general cost of the utilities and monthly payments.

While the costs will definitely increase, don’t let that discourage you from living your best life. The shift in the costs can actually help you revisit your budget and lead to changes in spending habits and build new systems.

Main Differences Between Living With Others and Living Alone

The biggest shift you’ll notice is the financial aspects of not splitting bills anymore, but next up you’ll realize how much of your destiny you can control. For instance, if you like to keep your house clean but had a sloppy roommate then you don’t have that to deal with anymore. If you want to watch movies then you can do that whenever you feel like it.

Besides that, decorating your space to make your home more comfortable is also a huge benefit and definitely recommended.

Tips On How to Live Alone & How to Prepare

1. Stay Connected to Others

Living alone will definitely force a lot of time alone. That is fine if you want to spend some time alone or simply want time to reset, but it is highly encouraged to stay connected to your friends and family. Regardless of what brought you to your new lifestyle, it is great to keep in touch with others. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to practice creating plans with friends to get you out of your home.

2. Learn How to Create Routines That Work For You

Routines will definitely be an area that will change when you decide to live alone. Whether it is a morning and night skincare routine or a cleaning your home routine, be sure to find something that helps you create systems in your home. Don’t be afraid to test new routines either. There’s no perfect way to do things and you have all the space to create a system that works for you.

3. Try New Hobbies

Whether you are an extrovert or introvert, trying new hobbies when you live alone is a great way to keep you engaged with your creative side. Maybe there’s painting by numbers, starting to sew clothes, a rock climbing gym, or a side hustle that you’ve always wanted to try. Whatever you are interested in trying, give it a shot in your new space.

4. Decorate Your Space

Decorating your space can help you to really make your space your own and feel comfortable. I can say from experience that once I decided to finally decorate my space, I felt a sense of relief and home. Not to mention, it also helped me to breakthrough a creative slump I was going through by providing me with a new project.

5. Stay Active

Staying active is important for those who live alone. It can be easy to slow down at times especially if you have a remote job, but staying active can help you to stay happier. If you don’t want to go to a local park or gym consider getting a walking pad to help you stay active to some degree.

6. Practice Loving Yourself and Embracing the Time Alone

Since you’ll be spending more time alone, remember that you should practice loving yourself. Practice positive self talk and really giving yourself the space to understand who you are. You spend the majority of your time in life with yourself so practice getting to know how you feel and what makes you happy. Don’t forget to say I love to yourself as well.

7. Create New Communities or Find Them Around You

There are plenty of people out there in society who are also living alone and want to find others to talk to. Whether you want to find a group of friends in a new city after college, at your local gyms, or in general, those communities are out there. I personally love the climbing and skateboarding communities but there are plenty others out there. Try your local pottery class, run club, the Meetup app, etc. Your community is out there and I know you’ll find it.