Living alone for the first time? Take care of yourself and your mental health with these tips

Maybe you’re having a relationship break up, a housemate bust up, or you’re parting ways with the family home. If you’re living alone for the first time, look out for the heavier emotions that can come with the big change.

“You’re not going to get someone asking you when you walk in the door, ‘How was your day?’” says Molly Burrets, a licensed clinical psychologist in the US .

Not to mention that you’ll also be responsible for all of the household chores — like cleaning and cooking meals — and housing costs, which could mean less money in the bank for things like new clothes and holidays.

“People just want to make sure that they’re in the best possible position, that they’re resourced enough to take on this new responsibility,” Dr Burrets said. “Don’t do it before you’re ready.”

Dr Burrets shared some pros and cons — as well as advice on how you can maintain your mental health while navigating the life change.

Pros:

• A sense of increased independence and being able to “do what you want to do when you want to do it.”
• More privacy
• Self-sufficiency and accomplishing things on your own without help from others, which “can give you a boost in confidence and self-esteem.”
• Fewer distractions
• Fewer opportunities for conflict

Cons:

• Increased responsibility with household chores, which can lead to stress and anxiety
• Lack of built-in socialization
• Indulging in unhealthy habits when no one’s around like having too much screen time, sleeping irregularly or eating unhealthy foods
• Safety concerns
• Potentially having to cut back on spending for activities outside of the home

‘Create routine and structure in your life’

Living on your own gives you more independence and flexibility which can lead to more productivity for some, and less productivity for others, Dr Burrets says.

As you’re entering this new phase, she recommends implementing a routine that you can stick to. Aim to structure that routine around spending time with other people.

“If we don’t have a routine or a structure in place, it can be easy to fall into a kind of a life of disarray,” she says.

A consistent routine can help you to connect with the people in your life, whether that’s inviting them to your home or seeing them at social outings. Following a schedule for things like planning and prepping healthy meals, daily exercise or going to sleep around the same time every night can lead to improvements in your overall health.

“I really recommend that, for all of the potential problems that can come along with living alone, you really work hard to create routine and structure in your life,” she says.