How to Live Alone—and Love It
Moved into your own place recently? Congrats! You're part of the growing number of people choosing to forego roommates and live alone (rates of solo dwellers have doubled over the past three decades, according to recent reports.) However, a new study from the journal BMC Public Health indicates that people who shack up alone also have an increased risk of getting a case of the blues--by up to 80 percent! While the benefits to living alone are huge (no messy roommates!), take some precautions to avoid falling into a rut.
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Your newfound independence can be liberating--but also isolating, which can make you feel lonely. Plus, you may get so used to being by yourself that you may find it hard to get along with others at times. When you live with someone else, you're forced to compromise, negotiate and play nicely with others constantly (Who will clean the bathroom? Who pays which bills? You get the picture!). But when you get your own place, it's easier to get stuck in your ways--and it may affect your ability to communicate and work through conflict when you are hanging with other people.
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If you find that spending so much time solo is getting you down, or negatively impacting your ability to get along with others, make sure you set up plenty of opportunities to get out of the house. Join an intramural sports league, go out with work colleagues for happy hour--or simply try to set up dinner plans with pals a few nights per week. Filling your schedule with activities will help you feel engaged in a community and give you plenty of opportunities to exercise your social skills.
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Enjoy your freedom!
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