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Living alone is a concept which seems equally exciting and terrifying to me. On the one hand, the opportunity to live alone brings a sense of independence, control and free-reign; to make a space entirely your own. On the other hand, everything is your responsibility. There’s no splitting bills, cleaning rotas or sharing milk. There’s no friendly face to chat to in the kitchen when you’ve had a rubbish day. It can seem scary and there’s no shame in feeling that. But that’s what we’re going to be tackling today; how to prepare for living alone. Unless you’re with a partner for the rest of your life, most of us are likely to experience a point in our future where we will live by ourselves. The best part about preparing for living alone is that it’s something that you can work on overtime, you don’t need to get to that point overnight! As a 24-year-old in my final year of university, I currently live in a flat on campus accommodation with a lovely group of girls. I’ve had my fair share of housemates in the past 5 years since moving out of my family home, however once I get that degree and enter the adult world, I feel the time has come for me to experience life alone for a bit. Like I said, the thought is terrifying, but I know I can do it, I just need to prepare.
Spend time alone
If you’re a social butterfly who spends all day, every day, surrounded by people, this is going to be a valuable step in preparing to live alone. Learning to love your own company is easier said than done; some days being alone with my own thoughts is the last place I want to be, but it won’t always be this way. The best way to start this is simply to find something you enjoy that you can do by yourself and set time aside each week to invest in you. It works in the same way as if you would schedule time to meet up with friends; as the old saying goes, the only person that will ever know you as well as you do is yourself.
Ideas for things to do by yourself include:
Play video games
Watch movies/tv shows
Painting/arts and crafts
Reading
Walks
Cooking/baking
Going for a meal/coffee
Doing skincare/self-pamper
Shopping
Exploring new places/cities
Form routines for yourself
When you start living alone, the silence and long periods without contact may feel overwhelming at first. A great way to prepare for this adjustment is to develop some healthy routines to keep yourself busy and that will provide a sense of familiarity. A morning routine is a good place to start; Try and wake up at a similar time each day, have a set place where you eat breakfast and perhaps take some time to journal and jot down your goals for the day. An evening routine will prove most effective for those nights which can sometimes feel lonely and quiet. Cook dinner for yourself and put on an episode of your favourite show whilst you eat to drown out any silence. Following this you could have a shower and engage in one of the solo-activities recommended above. Finish with a nice cup of tea, a book and regular bedtime, leaving yourself feeling well-rested and looked after.
Invest in your space
If you’re in your early twenties and about to live alone, do not expect to have a bank balance available to kit your new pad out with the best and brightest furnishings on the market. You’ve got to be realistic in terms of what you can afford, but also remember that it is important to invest in your space, even if that is in ways that aren’t just financial. You can invest in your new home by doing a thorough deep clean before you move your stuff in. You’re getting to start with a clean slate and from here make a promise to yourself to keep on top of cleaning tasks regularly. If you let your space become cluttered and dirty frequently this is going to make you feel unsettled in your home and you will begin to resent the space you have worked so hard for. Secondly, take advantage of the fact that living alone means you can organise and design your space exactly how you want to, without factoring in the needs of anyone else! Get creative, make some artwork, thrift in charity shops and on Facebook Marketplace for affordable bargains that will make you happy without breaking the bank.
Learn how to navigate household bills
When you live alone, you become solely responsible for a number of things that previously would have been shared between housemates. This includes the sourcing and paying of electricity and/or gas bills, Wi-Fi contracts, council tax, rent/mortgage payments and general maintenance issues such as plumbing. As a student over the years I have often seen that many students can go through their entire time at university without ever having to learn or educate themselves too much on these issues as in many cases such as halls accommodation bills are included, or in a shared house one student typically sorts out the bills on behalf of the group. With the cost-of-living crisis situation at present, it is important that not only do we keep up to date with the prices and offers available, but that we have an understanding of how these systems work so that we can factor into our budgets appropriately.
Prepare for emergencies
The hardest part about living alone is that there is often no one there to turn to for help in a hurry. While many friends and family are only a phone call away, emergency situations require immediate assistance. Therefore it is ideal to prepare for the worst case scenarios so that you aren’t struggling alone. Examples of emergencies to prepare for include:
First Aid kit for injuries and medical help
Fire extinguisher and blanket
Medicine cabinet for unexpected illnesses
Torch, candles and batteries for blackout
Tinned & freezer food for a lockdown
Spare key
In six months, I will hopefully be moving into my own place for the first time. I’ve already started working on a few of these tips, but just remember that no matter how hard we prepare for anything in life, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed when starting a new chapter. Things are going to be different; we will face difficulties for sure. But we will also learn so much and experience a sense of achievement and courage, to be able to take control and be a proper adult for the first time (if that really even exists at all!).
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