As research in environmental psychology and mental health indicates, our surroundings and how we spend our time within them have an enormous impact on our emotional resilience. In order to turn solitude into an advantage, I created a lifestyle that revolves around four main points.
Building a daily routine with purpose
Probably one of the greatest pitfalls individuals encounter while living alone is lacking a daily structure. It is easy to fall into a routine of waking up at random times, eating whenever, and letting the hours blur together without much intention. This is not what I wanted for myself. Instead, I decided to create a straightforward, daily schedule: a morning walk to soak in the sun, an hour of dedicated reading, light housework as a way to respect my living space, and dedicated time to reflect. It does not take much effort to maintain, but structuring the day in advance makes the mind feel secure and grounded.
Finding joy in simple things
This was probably one of the most prominent personal paradigm shifts in my case. I stopped looking forward to some big events, vacation days or other important things, which would give me a reason to be happy. Rather, I began cherishing small micro-moments in the day: the silence of the new morning, the warm feeling of having a really good cup of hot coffee, the calmness of taking a walk around the neighborhood or reading a page from an excellent book. These were my whole world since I realized that happiness does not always have to be full of fuss.
My experience
Once you stop being scared of going through life alone and change the way you see things, living alone becomes a blessing. It is where you get to be completely free; you can decide when to eat, sleep, or decorate the way you like. Living alone gives you peace of mind, continuous self-realization, and absolute emotional freedom. You understand that you do not need anyone else to make your day or set your mood.
Eventually, becoming comfortable in one’s home has nothing to do with age; it has everything to do with a person’s mindset. Loneliness is not so much about the environment but rather how people deal with it. You do not necessarily need to wait until you are 73 years old to grasp this idea; you can do so today.
For most of my life, I fell into the trap of thinking that to be happy, I constantly needed to be surrounded by people, noise, and validation—just to keep the terrifying quiet at bay. I used to think being busy meant being alive, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Real happiness comes from the inside, and it’s all about the relationship you have with yourself. Once you realize that, loneliness completely loses its power. There’s a beautiful shift that happens: you can never truly be alone if you’re a good friend to yourself.
