7 Life Lessons I learnt from Living Alone

I had pretty much lived with my family all my life. Well, this was true until my post graduation. I always desired to live the independent life but never thought I would get the opportunity. Until, one day I decided to pursue another degree in a different city. That decision changed my whole life and transformed me from being a timid girl to an independent woman today. I will admit that I still have a long way to go but I’m proud of how far I have come. Here are the 7 life lessons I learnt from Living alone.

1. Not to take my family for granted.

It is human nature to get used to your surroundings and take things for granted because it's easily available. When I was at home, I would get food timely scolded even, if I did not eat . When I moved out, suddenly there was nobody to ask if I had had food or have it laid out for me to eat. It was my responsibility to decide whether to eat on time or just procrastinate.

2. Not to take the shelter above my head for granted.

I remember the time when the lease for my home was about to end in a week. I was dependent on another friend to find a new place but we did not find one as most of the homes were already rented out. I was on a tight deadline to move out and had no place to go to. It was such a nightmare, when I did not know where I would be living the next day. I ended up finding a place to live the next day but this was when I realised the importance of having a shelter above my head.

3. Most things and situations in life are figureoutable.

I want to admit that I didn't even know how to hang the clothes to dry after they were washed. I did not know how to sew or even to cook the most basic items like dal and rotis. But guess what, after failing once or twice at these things, I have realised that everything is figureoutable. You don't have to know everything, you can just wing it along the way.

4. Nourishing myself with home cooked meals.

The independence that you suddenly get when you start to live alone on what to eat and when to eat is no doubt one of the best feelings. But sooner or later you realise that it has messed up with your body’s basic requirements of nourishment.

Having a healthy home cooked meal is the most basic necessities of the human body. I did realise this a little later when the damage was already done. So my suggestion to you would be to prioritise having simple home cooked food with occasional binge sessions.

5. Every human being is wired differently but there is something that you can learn from everyone.

Living alone teaches one major lesson of life i.e; to deal with all kinds of people. This is that one lesson that keeps iterating because every person you meet is unique or weird in their own way. You may like some, you may hate some and some may not have any affect on you. Either way you will realise each person does end up teaching you something; it could be something that should do or something that should never do. :P

6. Living in Solitude is not Loneliness.

I agree that the first few days of living alone seem like the world is about to end. But as the days pass, you start to enjoy your own company. Being in the company of friends and family is definitely enjoyable but you start looking forward to the times when you can be all by yourself in solitude. It's just you and your own thoughts which for me is one of the best ways to unwind.

7. Taking care of my own health.

You sneeze or cough a little and your family comes to rescue with the medication and just plain warmth of their love. But living alone, it is you who has to take yourself to the doctor and get yourself cured. These are the times when I found myself missing my family the most. But it also makes you aware of how important it is to maintain good health.

These are some of my learnings from living alone. What are your learnings from living alone? Let me know in the comments section below and we will all learn from you. :)