Living alone can be hard for some people. However, it may be inevitable for others, as not everyone will succeed in finding a partner, assuming they want one. There may also be people who do not want a partner and prefer to live alone. For those who do not know, I am a self-described loner who wishes to live alone for the rest of my life, as I mostly find true peace within solitude.
Although I am very young (22 as of the recent update of this article), I do have some insights to share with those who, voluntarily or not, may live alone for so long. Regardless of the reasons and factors behind living alone, consider these 5 tips if you live alone and/or worry that you might live by yourself for the rest of your life:
"Alone" in the context of aging refers to aging without a romantic partner. However, you do not have to be generally alone in order to age without a partner, making the term "alone" case-specific. Even as an aged man or woman, you can still have people around you to support you, such as family, without the necessity of a romantic partnership.
Prepare to find yourself bored from time to time, if not for extended periods of time. Even if you find ways to entertain yourself and do other things that lead to productivity, boredom can sometimes be inevitable. Instead of seeing it as an unwanted occurrence, one can see it as a potential to find new things to do and to indulge in.
Make sure you are independent enough to endure a retired life of seclusion. If you are not independent enough, you may find this way of life to be harsher than it could have been. The issue of independence applies in many aspects, from the means of transportation to the means of being able to manage one's finances.
The issue of health has two aspects that may affect one another. If you completely neglect exercise, it may affect your mental state poorly, and vice versa. Keep a healthy lifestyle not only to extend your lifetime but also to preserve one's wellbeing as time goes on.
The solitary retired life includes a lot of time to be spent. This is an opportunity to master whatever skill or field of knowledge you are interested in, and not necessarily only one. There is so much potential to be grasped when one is alone, and it is unfortunate to see people ignoring it altogether.
To summarize, living alone as an aging (or even younger) person, even if hard, is not entirely impossible, and when utilized, it can bring much potential in terms of productivity and insight-seeking. Missing out on the times of being alone can also be considered as a wasted potential, as it gives power to the internal world. Even if you live by yourself, it is no shame to seek help in whatever activity or problem you need assistance in, in the sense that you cannot do it yourself and competently succeed.
