So you have decided to ditch your roommates or move out of your parent’s home to live alone. According to studies, living alone may lead to unhealthy eating habits and a shorter lifespan. Cliché? Well here are a few truths you need to know about living alone.

1. You wont be OK with being alone from the onset.

Yes, you may have decided to make the big move to live alone. Very independent of you. The thing is, the first nights alone can be scary. You might find yourself listening to every creaky floorboard or every cricket sound. And the realization that you are all alone doesn’t help the sleep come easily.

The truth is: this scary bit is a passage you have to go through in order to be comfortable with living alone. Much as it seems uncomfortable at first, it eventually becomes a liberating process.

To overcome this, you have to get used to being by yourself. And the only way to do this is being by yourself. Start doing things alone. Go to the movies or dine at a restaurant alone. Before you know it, being alone becomes something you look forward to.

2. Your phone could become the substitute roommate.

At first, your smartphone may seem like the only thing that can calm your nerves at night. It is also the only thing that seems to take the loneliness away since you can connect with people through it. You find yourself scrolling through all social media sites to see how the rest of your friends are partying.

When you notice you are losing yourself to the phone, put it down. Get used to the fact that you are alone. You might be shocked what you might uncover about yourself when you look within you. Your life is fuller than you give it credit for.

3. You will finally realize your time is valuable.

When you live alone, you begin to realize just how much your life was being dictated by other people. You realize you have been doing what other people wanted or what you thought you wanted. “Lets grab a beer after work”. And there you go without giving it a thought.

The thing about living with other people is you find yourself taking care of everyone else’s needs but your own. Having your own pad gives you breathing space. It helps you discover what you really want and you begin playing by your own rules. You get to do what your heart really desires.

4. You get to choose who you let in

Living alone gives you the autonomy to reach out to people. And this is when you get to separate your true friends from friends of convenience. This is a great advantage of living alone – you get to choose who to let in and what friendships to nurture.

So don’t let the thought of living alone scare you. Trust me, living alone has its perks. You get to know the person you never bothered to get to know well enough: YOU!!!