So one thing you may not know about me… I lived by myself for 2 years. I now have the benefit of living with my other half (after moving in in November of last year), because having nearly 4 months of not seeing anyone was a bit too much! But, when life was normal (as I’m hoping it will be again soon), I used to love living by myself! It taught me so much about myself, I loved having the freedom to just do whatever I want whenever… and while it was expensive, I wouldn’t change it for the world!
So a bit of context before I get into the nitty gritty of it! I lived in a studio (but with a separate kitchen) in Ealing with my landlady living next door and all my bills included so it was as stress free as it could physically be!
And here are the things I learnt while living by myself…
Sometimes You Eat Breakfast For Dinner and Dinner For Breakfast
My family are one of those who eats all their meals together, and then my first flat in London (which I shared with strangers) I was too scared to make fancy meals and so would just shove stuff in the oven and run away! But when you live by yourself and no ones judging anything you do… sometimes you eat cereal for dinner, and sometimes you eat your pasta bake for breakfast? Who’s watching and who’s judging?!
You Learn To Love Your Own Company
This is one of those things you really learn to love! I remember the first day I moved into my flat and I just sat there on the floor (as only my bed had arrived) and suddenly had this moment of panic – like who would know if I died or something! But seriously, you really learn to thrive and grow on your own! Suddenly you learn how to be productive without someone watching over you and you begin to actually enjoy it!
You’ll Love Your Friendships and Learn To Say Yes
Obviously this doesn’t 100% apply now as times have changed a little, but when we get back to normal… you really learn to work out how to leave your flat and spend more time with people! I found myself saying yes to going out with work colleagues WAY more, heading to the pub, going to quizzes, going to the theatre.. sometimes just heading out for a walk or sitting in a cafe! You really learn to love and find ways to spend time outside your flat!
Cooking For One Is A Pain
I mean yes you can cook whenever you want, but most recipes are for 2, most packs of meat or things feed 2+ and everything is not designed for one person! And if you’re not careful, it becomes very expensive? So seriously batch cooking will be your best friend! Get a load of tupplewear and freeze some and stick some in the fridge and it keeps costs down and effort also down!
You Become Mega Independent
I’ve been fairly independent my entire life to be fair! My parents were always pretty relaxed and let me do things like cycle to the local town (7 miles away) to visit friends, and I went to University… but living by yourself means you cook, clean, capture spiders, entertain and everything all on your own! And that is some serious girl power and all!
It’s Expensive
Yes, you can’t really ignore that fact really. Not only is rent all on you, but so are bills, TV licensing, subscriptions, food, everything!
You Find More Time For Hobbies
I can’t explain why, but when you stop worrying about everyone else you find more time to love your hobbies! Be it reading, or music, or exercising! You’ll really find time for you!
You’ll Forever Be Listening To Music Or Rewatching Shows
If you’re anything like me, you’ll struggle with complete silence! So you’ll always have something on somewhere in your flat… be it music or TV or something! It really helps you feel a little less alone!
And there you have it! The 8 lessons I learnt from living by myself! To be honest, I would 100% recommend it! The growth I had when I lived by myself is invaluable! And while I wouldn’t change living with my boyfriend for the world and I’m sure I’ll learn even more about myself now, I had some amazing memories in my old flat and I sometimes miss it!
Have you lived by yourself?
Katie x