I lived in India with my family for 21 years and later moved to Tokyo where I shared an apartment with a few colleagues for a year before finally moving in with myself :P August 19, 2018 marks the completion of the first rollercoaster year of living by myself. Here’s my takeaway from this year.
Self-Awareness
I learned so much about myself in a year, which I couldn’t in those 21 years. Living by myself made it possible for me to pay attention to myself. I am now much more aware of what makes me happy, what makes me grumpy, what makes me emotional, what motivates me, how I respond, how I make decisions etc. As a millennial, I was constantly looking out for acceptance and appreciation in the world which led me to chastise myself more than understanding myself. It brings a humongous amount of peace when you know yourself and you accept yourself the way you are.
Mundanity of life
Life is not adventurous and exciting all the time, as opposed to what we see on social media. It can get quite monotonous and boring. Let’s accept it! People are not usually fond of cleaning, doing the laundry, cooking, and grocery shopping, especially when they have no one to do those chores with. Learning to organize my personal space and religiously doing those mundane tasks has helped me shape my character. As Terri Savelle Foy says it, “the way you do anything is the way you do everything!”
Close-knit relationships
For a while, living alone tricked me into thinking that I am a lone wolf and can survive the ups and downs of life by myself. Thank God for reminding me that human beings are social animals! When the going was rough, living alone forced me to constantly feed on my problems. In those days, I found myself on the verge of depression, sinking in loneliness and mental breakdown. Talking about my problems with the people I confide in helped me hang loose in life. Your own set of people can give you a better perspective and will stand by you when you need them. This year taught me the value of relationships and people like never before.
Investing in yourself
Living alone creates an illusion of self-centeredness giving an immense freedom to focus on personal goals and dreams. This is an opportunity to learn, grow and invest in self-improvement. Developing new hobbies and acquiring new skills became a bit easier for me since my focus was restricted to myself. With almost summer gone by, I could check off 80% of the 2018 goal list. Feels great! I strongly believe if I can do it, anyone can.
I think a lot of people these days are scared of being alone and lonely. To them, I’d just want to mention that
You are never alone. You are always with yourself. And your company isn’t bad after all :)
