There are so many perks to living alone, but it can also be a potentially lonely experience. In this blog post, you’ll find self-care tips to ensure you care for yourself when you live alone.
Living alone has its perks, but it can also be an emotional rollercoaster ride.
One minute everything can be fine. You’re enjoying your space, watching a new show on Hulu or Netflix.
And the next minute, you feel overwhelmed and alone.
Those are the moments when your self-care practices become indispensable.
Taking care of yourself and prioritizing these habits in your daily routine can also help to avoid some of those lonely feelings.
You don’t need to be on a downward spiral to start implementing these. Why not start now? 🙂
Related post: How to Get Out of Your Head
Updated August 2022.
10 Self-Care Tips for Living Alone
Keep your body moving
It’s no secret that moving your body is beneficial for your overall health (which is extra vital given the current health crisis), but exercise is also a great way to keep your mood up.
A study by The Lancet Psychiatry, which looked at data from over a million people over four years, found that people who exercised had 43% fewer self-reported “bad” mental health days.
Even people who only walked saw 10% better mental health days, which goes to show you don’t need to do crazy HIIT workouts to benefit!
Maintain a healthy diet
Living alone means, for the most part, having to be your own motivation, and that can be hard if your energy levels are down from your body trying to process a bad diet.
Maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t mean you need to give up on ALL the unhealthy foods you love.
It’s all about moderation, listening to your body, and being mindful about what goes into your body.
Eating better has also been shown to increase overall brain function, energy levels, and self-esteem (because when you look good, you feel good!).
Related post: What Is Mindful Eating and Why Is It Important?
Open a window or spend time outside
There’s nothing like that 2 pm slump. You know, that mid-afternoon “I’m tired and want to be ‘done’ with today” kind of mood?
These slumps can be even harder when you live alone because there’s no one around to help you out of it.
Well, studies show that being outside increases energy levels by 90%.
So, crack open that window! Or find a way to get outside for a bit.
I’ve found that even just doing a short walk around my neighborhood or sitting out on my patio for a bit wakes me up and makes me feel ready to get on with my day again.
Related post: 20 Ways to Get Out of a Funk
Improve Your Sleep Quality
It’s no secret that getting a good night’s rest is essential. Sleep is especially important when you live alone because it helps reduce anxiety and strengthens your immune system.
Here are some tips from the CDC to help improve your sleep quality:
- Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
- Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smartphones, from the bedroom.
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
- Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
Related post: 11 Game-Changing Products for Better Sleep
Read books
Reading can be a great way to break away from fast media forms like watching the news, scrolling through social media, or binge-watching TV.
If you’re not careful, all of these can leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and open the door to self-comparison to others.
Reading can help you decompress and allow you to escape into exciting stories, or expose you to new ideas.
There’s also a sense of accomplishment whenever you finish reading a book.
Your brain is being put to work and you’re expanding your vocabulary, which can be a stark difference from your mindless scrolls through social or TV binges.
Related post: Books I Read That Got Me Through 2020
Learn a new skill/hobby or make time for the one you already love
Living alone gives you control over what’s in your space! Fill it with things that interest and inspire you.
Use your time alone to develop new skills, get better at old ones, or try something you’ve always wanted to!
Hobbies and new skills are gifts we give ourselves to improve our moods, feel productive, and make us better people.
Related post: Important Benefits of Trying New Things
Journal
You have a lot of time by yourself when you live alone. All that time opens the door to a lot of thinking, leading to MANY thoughts and feelings.
Journaling can help release and organize these feelings so that they don’t overwhelm or spin out of control.
According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, journaling helps control and improve your mood by:
- Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns
- Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to control them better
- Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors
Related post: 7 of the Best Journaling Methods for Stress Relief
Add structure to your days
Map out your days but also be lenient with yourself if you don’t follow it to a tee.
You can find comfort from mapping out how your day will flow even if you don’t usually thrive on a strict schedule.
Writing out your daily goals can also help organize your thoughts and settle your overactive mind.
Prioritize healthy relationships
Reaching out to friends and family can be an excellent way not to feel so alone.
Video calls, especially, have allowed us to feel as if we are together even when we’re far away.
So, whether it’s a video hangout or merely sending someone a text, taking a moment to reach out to a loved one can be insanely beneficial to your overall mood and mental health.
Related post: The Power of Female Friendship & Finding Your Tribe
Allow yourself to feel ALL THE THINGS
Listen to your body and do whatever feels right to you. You don’t need to always have productive days. Couch potato days are important too!
Sometimes you need those days to recharge and sit with your feelings. Go easy on yourself.
Related post: 23 Empowering Quotes About Being Single and Happy
These are all really great points, Remi. I tend to forget to step outside and get some fresh air or crack open the ‘ole journal when I’m down. Those two things alone can be so helpful to self-care!
I agree! Sometimes just stepping outside for a bit can lift my mood. 🙂