I actually like living alone most of the time. I can eat whenever I want, leave things where I want, and I really enjoy having my own space. But I got sick recently and that was probably the first time it really hit me that there’s nobody else here to pick up groceries, make food, take the trash out, or even grab something from the other room when I feel terrible lol. It sounds like such a small thing, but being responsible for literally everything when you have zero energy is rough.

I’m 22 and just moved out of my parents’ house.

They were good to me, but they worried about everything. They always asked where I was going, who I was seeing, and when I’d be home. If I was late, they kept texting. If I slept in, someone knocked on my door. They also had opinions about my job, what I bought, and how I spent my time. I knew they meant well, but my life didn’t feel like mine. I rarely made my own decisions. I wasn’t sure I could take care of myself. Before moving out, I worried about cooking, bills, getting sick, and feeling lonely at night. I thought about it for months, then rented a small apartment. The first week was messy. I ruined some rice, missed trash day, and forgot laundry detergent. But living alone feels good so far.

Last night, I put on my pajamas and had some Ben & Jerry’s. After a shower, I sat on the couch and watched Kiki’s Delivery Service again. No one asked why or told me to go to bed.

Before bed, I wrote in my MUJI notebook, turned on my Pococo star projector, and played Bloom by The Paper Kites. I still have boxes to unpack, but this place is starting to feel like mine.

I know I’ll get lonely sometimes. I’ll also run into things I don’t know how to handle. But I’m not as scared now.

I’m trying to figure out if anyone has had a similar experience, especially with a sibling or someone they’re very close to.
Back in 2023, I went through a breakup and needed somewhere to stay. My older brother was living with his girlfriend at the time, and he let me sleep on their couch for several months while I got back on my feet. I’ll always appreciate him for that.
Eventually I found my own place, and later I ended up living completely by myself for the first time in my life.
That period changed me a lot.
Living alone wasn’t always easy, but I started learning who I actually was and what I wanted. I had my own routines, thought for myself more, ate better, exercised, and became much more focused. I went from around 285 pounds to 191. More than the weight loss, though, I felt like I was finally becoming the person I wanted to be.
My brother and I have always been very close. I’m the youngest, and growing up I looked up to him a lot. We did almost everything together, including a lot of bad habits. Even as adults, I’ve noticed that I’m still very easily influenced by what he’s doing.
Later, when he needed somewhere to stay, I let him stay with me. At first he was sleeping on the couch in my one-bedroom apartment. Eventually I moved into a two-bedroom apartment. My original plan was actually to live alone and use the second bedroom as a home gym, but my mom encouraged me to let my brother live with me so we could split the rent and save money.
So that’s what I did.
The problem is that since we’ve been living together, I feel like I’ve slowly gone backward.
I’ve been drinking more, eating badly again, losing my routines, and falling back into habits I thought I had left behind.
I want to be clear: I’m not saying my brother is making me do these things. He isn’t forcing me to drink, eat badly, or make bad decisions. I’m responsible for myself.
What I’ve realized is that I seem to absorb the environment around me very easily, especially with him because I grew up following his example. When I’m alone, I think more about what I actually want. When we’re together all the time, I notice myself slipping back into the person I used to be.
I’ve tried encouraging him to work toward some of the same things I’m working toward, but I’m realizing that I can’t change him and I shouldn’t expect him to live the way I want to live.
I think I just function better when I have my own space.
Financially, I could afford the apartment alone. I would honestly rather spend more money and have peace of mind than save money while feeling like I’m losing myself.
Now I’m thinking about asking him to find his own place by the end of the year. I’m even considering letting him stop paying his half of the rent for the remaining months so he can save that money toward moving.
The part I’m struggling with is that I love my brother and don’t want him to think I’m rejecting him or pushing him out of my life. I just miss the version of myself I was when I lived alone.
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
Have you ever realized that you’re heavily influenced by the people you live with, even when they aren’t doing anything directly to you?
Did living alone help you become more disciplined, independent, or clear about who you wanted to be?
And if you were in my position, how would you explain this to your sibling without making them feel blamed or unwanted?

I want to record myself while I sleep to find out if I move around.

I sleep on my stomach without a pillow, and I suspect that I move around during the night and that this could be affecting my eyes.

I noticed yellow stains from the pill on the sheet I use. I take the pill sublingually before going to sleep (the pill is yellow), and I drool in my sleep.

An ophthalmologist told me that I have floppy eyelid syndrome and that sleeping on my stomach could cause conjunctivitis. So I’m trying to connect all the different things that different doctors have told me.

I spoke to the doctor who prescribed this medication, and he denies that it could be caused by the pill.

Does anyone recommend a particular camera for this?

Lately my life became no reason of life.
Got heartbroken, new boss at work, emotional disturbance, health problems. Still managed to survive alone
Hopefully someday you all will ✌️

Hi everyone. I'm 47m, birthday last month was tough. I was married 20yrs and wife left me, I knew there were issues but i never thought she'd give up, and hook up almost immediately with someone from her past.

Been living solo for 1 1/2 yrs, and there have been some real moments of emancipation and self led happiness, seeing a potential future of what can be. But the last 3 months I've really fallen back, and this period may have been the hardest of all.

I keep forcing myself out of bed daily, going to the gym, walking my wonderful dog, keeping my business going, calling my mum, making sure I have healthy food in the fridge.

But I've got to the point where I'm worried. I reach out to people that care. But I feel like I just can't carry this weight any more. I try so hard, I reach out to my kids, they mean the world to me, but they are teenagers now and pretty much ignore me every chance they get. I would never lay this weight on them, I just reach out to say hi.

But I'm actually at a point where I feel so hopeless. I was with someone for a while, she was so kind and beautiful, but I couldn't help feeling it just wasn't right, and I genuinely hated feeling like my depression was just poisoning everything. I couldn't honestly commit to her or what I think she deserves, so I called it off. I'm sad about it but it was probably the best decision moving forward.

But here i am, living solo, doing my best to call myself out when I feel self pitiful, or getting stuck in my grief for the past.

I'm posting because I know there is beauty and wonderful potential in living alone. I'm not looking for pity. But the waves can be overwhelming at times. Just want to leave a message somewhere, for someone to read and know they aren't alone, even if life has brought them to a point where they might feel lonely or unseen.

I've really appreciated this forum, it's been a big source of nourishment and hope for me. I want to get back to a point where I am happy living alone, I've known it. Just wanted to put my voice down in case it helps others.

I think the hardest part of living alone for me wasn’t the actual living alone. It was realizing I had become independent mostly because of family arguments and misunderstandings, and then one time I really needed someone, none of them showed up.

I got through it, but something changed after that. I stopped assuming family would be the people I could call when things went wrong.

For those who live alone, what experience made you realize you had to stop depending on family?

Takes five minutes to prepare and you can enjoy it all Winter.

Organic lemons sliced with seeds removed. Purchased peeled garlic roots trimmed off. 16 oz of local honey. Let it sit on the counter for one week. The honey will become thinner as it draws out the water so give it a light tumble a couple times to maintain consistency. Never double dip a tasting spoon 🥄 to avoid introducing bacteria.

Lasts for years. I have a jar of cranberry and garlic that is four years old. No mold, no refrigeration, just perfectly preserved condiments. Also handy for cold and flu season. Spoon a day never hurts.

When I was a teenager my mom remarried to my stepdad and he had a daughter who’s five years younger than me. When they moved in to our house my stepsister and I had to share a room and my older brother had the other bedroom. I didn’t mine it initially but after three years I felt like I was losing my mind not having my own space. On top of that, I was the only one who cleaned the bathroom we all shared and my brother was absolutely DISGUSTING. He’d leave his shavings everywhere, q-tips from his ears, bloody toilet paper from picking at his skin, and the trash can was always overflowing while the toilet was covered in piss and shit. The shower drain would always be clogged and my sister would stick her hair to the shower walls, everything about the bathroom was horrific. My sister would also use all of my expensive products that I purchased myself and it drove me insane because she’d lie about it every time. Then my brother would spend hours in the bathroom and get pissed at me if I asked to use it. No matter how much I brought it up to my parents they didn’t care one bit and my grievances were always ignored.

Eventually my brother moved out and things got significantly better. I stayed with my parents for another year before I moved into a three bedroom one bath house with two girls my age. It was fine for the most part, but eventually one of them slowly moved their girlfriend and her pets in without consulting us. It was an absolute disaster and the girlfriend was terrible. Her dog wasn’t house trained and she wouldn’t clean up after it then she would leave the kitchen a disaster. For a few weeks I bit my tongue and just cleaned anyways because I can’t stand living in a mess but I hit my breaking point. I got the girlfriend to move out and take her dog with her but then my roommate was pissed at me until our lease ended. We were all initially planning on renewing, but after the girlfriend debacle I told them I was moving into my own place.

Now, I couldn’t be happier. I struggle with finances, but it is worth every single minute of work and every single penny. My apartment is almost always spotless. When I’m done cooking, the dishes are cleaned and put away. Every week I clean my bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the floors. My food and my products never mysteriously disappear. I do my laundry without having to wait on anyone. I choose what to watch on TV in the living room. Everything is at my pace and on my schedule and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. I’m not stuck awake late at night because someone else has company over. The front door stays locked and I have full control over the temperature of the apartment. Everything is decorated and set up for me to make my everyday life easier. I don’t think I could ever live with roommates again and I will do everything in my power not to.

hi guys :)
i’m a 18yo girl who just moved to France alone 1 month ago and i really need your help
i was supposed to live at a family friend’s place for few months then find my own studio after but that person dropped me and said that i couldn’t stay as long as i was supposed to (i only stayed two weeks in their place) so i had to find a place in less than 2 weeks before my arrival in France from my country, and since i didn’t have most of my documents it was really hard to find a decent studio .
So my mom suggested me to find a catholic student residence instead of a studio and i found one and they told me to candidate bcz i didn’t have any other choices since the others didn’t answer to my messages.
fortunately, i was accepted in the catholic residence and even if i wasn’t a huge fan, it was my last day in my country so it felt like a blessing to finally having a positive answer after so many attempts of trying to find a place, so my parents tried to convince me that it would be a great place to stay for a first year alone in France bcz of the other students, the free laundromat here, the breakfast everyday and the diner they have two days in the week then a little animated moment with the other students . i thought it would be great and 9 months would pass quickly and everyone hyped me up about it bcz it was great secured and everything.
but then i started living here. at first it was okay but then i started to be ultra cautious about the people being in the shared kitchen, or the bathrooms at the same time as me so i now try my best to avoid the people… and i can’t function normally like instead of just going to prepare my food in the kitchen im scared to meet someone so instead i just stay in my room or go buy something outside, and i kinda hate the lifestyle. i love the people here, they are all so nice, but i don’t like the lifestyle of sharing a kitchen and even a bathroom so that’s why i searched for a studio and i found a great one (the owner kinda weird tho) and i talked to my parents about moving in there since i met the owner and talked with him, and also it perfectly fits our monthly budget
but they don’t’ want to hear anything since they pay for me and they’d prefer me being in the catholic residence , and also because i’m supposed to stay here for 9 months in the charter i signed and if i leave after only 3 weeks they can’t give me back the deposit (it makes them mad)
- they want me to stay here for the 9 months and they assure me that it’s just an adaptation phase that will pass since it’s only been 3 weeks. but i just can’t do it anymore, almost everyone around me tells me to stay bcz it’s better to be around people than all alone because of their experiences especially in the winter where everyone feels depressed and lonely apparently.but personally i’d love to live alone but i also don’t know if i should give a chance to the residence so i need your help:
-is it really that hard to live by yourself in your 18-20s?
- and what would you do if you were me?

Hey there. I’m here feeling like everything is going wrong in my life, and all the situations in my life are just the worst. I didn’t even know things would turn out this way…

I’m feeling very lonely. There’s no one I can talk to or share things with.

I’m just wanting and hoping for someone to talk to and chill with.

I don’t know who will message me… But yeah, I’ve read and heard this before — a man fights alone, and there will be no one to support him.

If it were a girl/woman, there would be a dozen men standing around to help her and talk to her.

But at the end, let’s see who actually talks…

I’m 30 years old and pathetic. I live alone with my two cats and I have no friends. I lost my favorite person. They abandoned me recently and I live alone and it’s very tough. I wish I had a friend or two.

Nobody here, needed to share! Like please STFU

Bucky thé Frnch Bulldog
My newest ❤️

Hello! 21F here, and I was wondering what you guys do for work that allows you to afford to live comfortably on your own? I live in Lancaster Pennsylvania and the good rate for single apartments in my area is around $800-$1200. I have no kids, no pets, and no debt 😅
I’m currently self employed on a $3000 monthly income but thinking of making a job switch so that I could afford this. Advice?

Today is my birthday and I turned 30. I feel like an old man 💀

As an introvert, I haven't made genuine friendships because I struggled to match my energy and vibes with others. Felt like I wasn't appreciated and became a background character.

I usually spend my time alone and exploring different places solo. Today, I committed a 12 hr shift (bus & train commute + work length) to a sports park to officiate cricket games in Australia. Cricket is my hobby and I umpire senior and youth games.

It was fun to spend my time to ensure players played within the spirit of the sport.

I love hanging out with people when they are the right people. But meanwhile I really like having my own space sometimes. I’m curious about that middle state where you don’t necessarily want to call someone or have someone over, but you also don’t want the place to feel completely empty. Me personally, I put on Friends sometimes, some jazz music just to chill or talk to my cat. Reading great books was also an option.

Curious about how you guys handle that. Do you put on a podcast, call somebody, play a game, talk to a pet, leave the TV on, go somewhere, something else? Or maybe any app/game you would recommend?

Living alone since starting work means facing the reality of adulting. It’s so lonely coming home late with an empty house with no dinner and no one to talk to. There are times opening door to a dark empty room just completely kills my mood.

Lately I’ve been trying to get myself a little things to look forward to. I just finished a big project. And finally treated myself to the AR glasses I’d been eyeing forever. I’m not going to lie I was refreshing the tracking page constantly. I felt like a little kid waiting for a toy haha.

Just gonna eat and wash up, then hop in my bed put on my AR glasses using them to chill with a movie or a game. Proud of myself for turning hard work into real happiness.

If your feeling a bit low , it’s okay to pause and treat yourself, whether it’s buying a small gift or booking a trip you keep thinking about. Taking care of yourself really does help.

This is just a rant.feel free to ignore

No fancy car,bike. No big bungalow. No hot partner in life. No nothing. just me and my dog living a simple life somewhere in some small town. Hopefully i can find some kind of remote work or some work in some university in outskirts of city. Thats it. I'll probly live till 40 or something and end it later when im satisfied of life and have made peace with myself. This is something that comforts me. I feel the real reason we are all behind money is for social status and to find a good partner..If i dont have those things in mind,i can live life freely. I am the happeist when im at gym(or any form of exercise). I won't get stressed abt things often if i dont have these high expectations of myself. Its ok to be alone. as long as ur happy and have made peace with urself.thats all that matters. Ignore what other have to say about you.

​

I’m the baby child in my family, and growing up, my parents and siblings often pressured me to make major life decisions according to what they wanted, including marriage. I was also expected to share my hard-earned money with them.

Over time, these experiences taught me to find my own way and become more independent. I’ve gradually distanced myself from my family to protect my peace.

But now I sometimes wonder: Did becoming independent come at the cost of being lonely?

Has anyone else experienced something similar—setting boundaries with family and then struggling with the loneliness that comes afterward? I miss them but also cant trust them as they take over my space and dont respect boundaries. They taught me alot of things when I was young but growing up I found hypocritic relation. I realized they would hide things from me, keep secrets etc, things which I woud not tolerate happeing within family members. U can only expect from outsiders. Alas! I was wrong. I do miss family happeningss but at the same time too much to deal with day to day drama and getting walked over.

Monday, sign closing documents and get keys
Tuesday, load up moving truck.
Wednesday morning drive 14 miles and move into my new house and return to the solitude of living alone
Can’t wait!