Living alone and independently sounds like the best life. Your space, routines, and leisure are all under your control. You don’t have to follow rules but your own, which you’re free to bend anytime. However, what we don’t always realize about living alone is the isolation, and the loneliness it can bring us.
If you live in another state, far away from your family, friends, and everything you’ve grown up with, your new place can overwhelm you for a time. And the adjustment period doesn’t always end after getting settled in. The moment it sinks in that you’re all by yourself, the loneliness and fear can start creeping in. According to a 2019 survey by health insurer Cigna, 61% of people feel lonely from insufficient social support, too little meaningful social interactions, poor health, and lack of balance in their lifestyles.
Though you can always seek your family’s help, their moral and emotional support are the only things they can give you now, since you’re supposed to be independent already. And with that comes uncertainty, which can evolve into crippling anxiety.
Battling such a mental health issue can feel impossible if you’re living alone. But of course, it’s not impossible. So here are the ways to regain control of your overwhelmed mind:
1. Seek Professional Help
To some people, the fear and anxiety that arises from living alone can become serious. Such mental health condition is called monophobia. Its other names are autophobia, eremophobia, and isolophobia.
Broadly speaking, monophobia is the fear of living alone. But the term can also include several discrete fears, such as:
- Being separated from a particular person
- Being home alone
- Being in public on your own
- Feeling isolated or ignored
- Experiencing danger when you’re by yourself
- Living alone
- Loneliness
- Solitude
Monophobia can lead to extreme anxiety. If you’re already displaying these symptoms and/or behaviors, seek a mental health professional as soon as you can:
- Dizziness, fainting spells, or nausea when you’re alone
- Intense anxiety
- Apprehension about being alone
- Feeling excluded or secluded even you have company
- Going to great lengths to avoid being alone
- Heart palpitation, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing when alone
- Panic attacks
- Trouble in maintaining healthy relationships
- Believing that something catastrophic will happen if you’re alone.
It’s not clear what causes monophobia. Past traumatic experiences, economic problems, and neglect may have something to do with it. Some external factors, like living in a neighborhood with a high crime rate, can cause it as well. In any case, though, monophobia is treatable.
2. Try Meditating
Meditating allows you to let go of your worries and to focus on your surroundings. It empties your head and then fills it with the comings and goings of your environment, like the whisper of the wind, rustle of the leaves, chirp of the birds, etc. Meditating for just three minutes a day can cause a big difference in how your day will go.
If you’re having trouble centering yourself, try meditation tools or apps like Headspace or Insight Timer. Both apps offer free sessions and are suitable for beginners. Dedicate at least three minutes of your day to meditation, and you’d realize that your worries are insignificant compared to your potentials and the world’s wonders.
3. Create a Morning Routine that Will Add Meaning into Your Day
A fast-paced life can make you forget what’s really important: enjoying your own company. As such, your days always feel monotonous and you almost feel like a robot. And without anyone to share your mornings with, starting your day can feel like a chore.
If you don’t change anything, your monotonous days can make your anxiety easier to trigger. So, create a morning routine that will add meaning to your day. You don’t have to do something grand; just cook a healthy breakfast instead of ordering takeout, read a book, listen to a podcast, or write down the things you’re grateful for today. Those little additions to your morning routine can make you look forward to each day.
4. Try Stress-relief Products
Essential oils, scented candles, and good books do wonders in calming your mind. If you’re craving the presence of another person, especially when you sleep at night, try using a cozy 20-lb weighted blanket from ARICOVE PTY LTD and other trusted brands.
Weighted blankets easily gained popularity because of their ability to provide pressure touch. Basically, it makes you feel like you’re co-sleeping with someone. As such, it promotes relaxation, triggers the release of serotonin and dopamine, and thus beat stress and anxiety. If you have monophobia, a weighted blanket may help you ease your fear and symptoms.
Anxiety is a serious mental health problem. You don’t get over it by simply waiting it out. So once you start feeling restless instead of excited about your independent living, that’s the sign that you should pamper yourself. And while you’re at it, remind yourself that you’re incredible for finally leaving your nest.
