AIBU to feel lonely and flat as a single mum working from home?

[Namechanged76938572357057]

Hi all,

I'm a single mum to a 3 yr old and I wfh, which means for much of the week I am alone. I can't do anything on an evening as I have my son and he goes to bed by 7pm so again I am alone on a night. I'm starting to feel pretty down, flat and lonely and wondering if I'm depressed even. I'm so flat by the end of the day that I don't even want to see people.

I do have a couple of nights free a week, but I'm so tired I just need to rest.

Does anyone else have a set up like this?

Yes in a similar position but only one night free per week. Keep
one night for rest and get out on the other one even its only to the movies or to the gym.

When I was a young(ish) single mum, going into work was pretty much all the non child related social contact I had so I don't blame you. Wfh doesn't work for everyone and you do miss out on the general chit chat of an office. Could you go hybrid or start making more effort on your free nights?
Edited for typos

Honestly I wasn't single when kids were your age but felt same. Wouldn't talk to people or socialize I was just constantly exhausted. I feel your hormones post baby don't really stabilize until child is around 6. So until then I'd say is survival - and I don't think it's just because single and WFH. I think a lot, like me, with totally different setups feel or felt same.

One piece of advice - for your downtime. Do put away your phone and don't doomscroll. Try not to have the TV on. So you do actually rest when not with your child, so you actually rest your mind and actually recharge. My suspicion is you'd start to feel less tired over time as you'd be getting more 'quality' downtime and then you'll have more energy to do fun stuff on nights off.

Fun stuff doesn't have to be going out late or anything. Just seeing people or going to the movies. You'll find in time the more stuff you do the more energized you'll feel.

Any possibility of you going into the office a day a week? Just to have some adult chat.

When I had ds1 I was in 6th form, so I was back in school a week after am having him (with baby!) and then had the summer holidays off before I started uni. So really about 8 weeks in total I had with him. With ds2 it was 6 months maternity at the time, and I couldn't wait to get back to work. My poor (now ex)dp used to have me talking a mile an hour when he came home from work because I had someone to talk too that I had a reply from.

loneliness as a single parent is hard. When I became one my dc were older, and due my mental health I was off work a few years. I remember that time being so lonely and I understand that feeling of flat. I have bipolar so I get the highs but also the crushing lows, so that flat feeling in depression I recognise.

I'm gonna sound a bore now. But how's your diet? Sleep? Exercise? These can all have a massive impact on your mental health and well being.