Tips for living alone

[pawsies]

I hate living alone. Every sound makes me jump.
Unfortunately I bought the house when I was with my ex and he left me last year so I'm stuck in this house.

I'm not a practical person at all, doubt I ever will be. Tried DIY course but utterly failed at that.

I need positives to living alone as today I'm just not coping. I've been out all day in the community not even talking to anyone, just being around other people. That helps. Thank god I'm at work for the next 5 days!

I don't have many reliable friends or family so I'm stuck on my own.

I know AIBU so prove me wrong 😁

Listen to the radio

Bird table if you have a garden

What are you particularly worried about OP? Do you think parts of your house are insecure and if so could you rectify it? How about a Ring doorbell so you can see who it there? Would a house alarm help you (I put mine on when I'm by myself as it gives me peace of mind as our house is quite large). If you can identify the reason(s) why you are so jumpy maybe you could work through them so they don't seem so big.

Why not get a lodger if you are strapped for cash and kill two birds with one stone?

Audiobooks? Drown out any house noises and keep you occupied, and yet still able to do stuff (chores/knitting etc)

Those things on Youtube where you search 'Natural sounds' and you can get 10 hours of 'crackling fire' or birdsong or gentle thunderstorm and rainfall. They're good for going to sleep. I use them if I wake up from a bad dream and am having trouble settling again.

Could you do a short course, maybe? You might make friends with similar interests, or get homework, so you've something interesting to do when you get home. Or something for the dogs? A training class? When I was lonely I set up a dog-walking group amongst my colleagues. We still go out Sunday mornings every now and again, It's very nice to socialise around dogs.

Wish I could help, I loved living alone, loved the quiet, loved the freedom and independence.

Whilst I do love my Husband, two kids (10 & 12) and my dog, I sometimes crave the above. I really miss it sometimes.

I have heard a saying, it something like if you dont like your own company then how is some one else supposed to like your company. I think it was from misery. I sometimes feel that in a busy household you can easily loose yourself and become a grump.

I'd second whoever said that building up a list of reliable tradespeople is really useful if you're not DIY-inclined (and why should you be?). If you haven't got any, try asking neighbours about people they've used and recommend. The most important is likely to be a handyman type - and what I've always done in this respect is keep a running list of jobs I'd like done, and then contact him/her when I've got several. That means it's more likely to be a day of her/his time and therefore s/he's more likely to do it. My current list is sticking back door, new catflap to be fitted, a couple of doors that won't keep closed - by the time he turns up in a month there'll be a few more!

You haven't mentioned feeding yourself, which - to me - is one of the most irritating things about living alone - it is very easy to get into the mindset of not really bothering when its just you. But, I've found the freezer is my friend, so I'll cook something nice and then put the rest of it in the freezer for later meals - saves a lot of money as well.

If you can't quite face the long-term commitment that is a lodger, many areas want people to host language students over the summer holidays?

I love living alone. I am firmly in the ‘hell is other people’ camp and doubt I could tolerate anything other than pets comandeering MY space and tripping all over them.

Having said that, not sure that living alone in a house would have been my ideal introduction to the wonders of lone living. I’d move to the security of an off-ground level flat if poss.

Failing that, have you considered communal living?

I’d 100% recommend a Ring doorbell. We have the whole house (side, front and back) rugged up with Ring cameras which mean literally no one could get within 50ft if any of the doors without us knowing/ it pinging up a notification on our phones. It also means you can see/ speak to any delivery men wherever you are and let them know where to leave things if you’re out.

DH works away a lot and I’m the same OP, jumpy as hell but I feel so much safer now we’ve got those cameras. It was about £300 for it all and to have it installed so not much really for long term security.

I also echo another poster re getting a bank of numbers for good, honest local plumbers/ electricians etc.

I do miss DH when he’s away but I love the house being tidy and as I left it, I also love having no one to please re what to have for dinner, what to watch on tv etc.

There are definitely pluses!