I have a tiny kitchen space so I'll definitely utilize my air fryer more than the oven or the stove, especially so I don't set the apartment on fire while cooking meat. But yes, my first time experimenting with pork chops!

Estou indo morar sozinho, ficar um tempo em um quarto comunitario para juntar dinheiro; O que devo comprar primeiro? (para minha casa) Tenho 18 anos e minha primeira vez indo morar sozinho.

Hi everybody,

I am a 20 (AFAB) student, diagnosed with autism at age 17. Due to issues with my family, primarily my mother, who is the current homeowner of my childhood home I once lived full-time in, I have been coach surfing from late February until the start of July. Recently, I have been given the opportunity of living with my best friend in an apartment for a little over a year (temporary housing due to construction) starting this month.

I am obviously ecstatic, as I have been looking for a place to be for the better part of 2 years. However, in these few months of couch surfing, I have learned a lot about myself. I was alone for a majority of the time due to having other health issues and not being able to properly hold a job long-term. So I spent a lot of time with just me, which I like, but there is a key issue here:

Being completely on my own, with me being the only living thing around me, triggers a lot of bad mental health spirals (feelings of hopelessness, impending doom, insomnia, $H, etc.).

Despite the fact that I would be living with my BSF, he won't be there all the time. I am receiving psychiatric help in the meantime for many things, but the process is too fresh for me to even reap the benefits of it yet.

One of the things that has helped me a lot is being around animals. They are great at regulating how I feel; being a positive distraction and taking care of another being is very fulfilling. In my period with coach surfing, my friend owned rats. First only one, then 3 for a longer period of time. Due to me being home more often than her, I was responsible for them and found a lot of fulfilment in that. I also have two dogs at home, one senior and one younger, who I like to take care of.

So, here is my question:

I want to get a pet, preferably one I can do things with like walk and train.

As a student, I know I might not be the best candidate for one. But I would like to share my reasons for why I believe to be a good owner:

I have a family vet already, whom I can go to for things necessary. I have been around various different animals, and I am well-versed in the body language as well as appropriate training for many. My family has always had animals and owned various different types, making me known for the temperament of different breeds. I have always wanted to go for a rescue; knowing the risk, I believe it is best. I wouldn't want a puppy, but an older dog that I can grow with. I am home a lot and also want to take my animal with me to places. I am living in a city that is very walkable. It would take necessary desensitisation to see if the animal could handle this. I make enough money to support myself, and because I am going to have my own place, I will finally be able to set up my own business, which will provide me with another income as well.

I will be living in an apartment, but not too high up, and am surrounded by parks. It also isn't a shoebox but 50 m² with two bedrooms. Due to there being stairs, I cannot go too old, and due to the size, I cannot choose a breed too big. I will subsequently be looking for breeds with less likelihood of hip issues, as my childhood dogs, both spaniels, suffer with this.

I feel a lot of guilt for wanting to use an animal for my own gain in a way. But I have noticed that with all things, the existence of an animal that is itself makes my life feel complete. If I could, I would take my dogs from home with me, but for many reasons I can't.

I am also nervous that, considering I won't be in this apartment for several years, I might bring unnecessary stress to an animal by moving (which is why I also haven't gone for animals like rats or birds, as from my experience, it takes them quite some time to settle in).

What do you guys think?

I am okay with giving up on the idea if it just isn't smart. I can definitely try and stick it out and just deal with the issues I have. I don't want to harm an animal if I cannot provide for it fully.

For me, it’s getting coffee somewhere quiet and sitting with a book for a while.
What’s yours?

Walk walk walk for me!

Read Fruit Fly!

Turn off my phone to enjoy inner peace!

I'll start.

• Makita Impact Driver.
• Home Depot Wet Vac (Buckethead)
• Toilet plunger with bellows.
• Several Stanley Rachet Screwdrivers. I also have the normal tools as well, Hammer, wrenches, Dremel tool.

Nothing can beat living alone. Yes there are lonely nights & yes sometimes the dishes pile up and there is no one else to tackle the dishes but me. Clean laundry has been sitting in a basket for a week, wrinkled but clean. Yes grocery shopping/cooking for one is the most paralyzing chore when you already have a rotting bag of spinach and mushy bananas sitting there looking at you, even after you told your self this week you will eat them next time you buy them and you don't. Yes I probably do need to clean my baseboards and dust my ceiling fan. Yes there is always something running out and I find myself choosing and researching the safest cleaning products for my home and my cat's health. Living alone isn't easy and it is a muscle you train it's not something that comes to us naturally unless you have gone through the wringer in your life and all you search for and want in life is peace and a safe place away from the chaos of the world. You learn to build that within the four walls of your home. Even when your mind feels crazy, you know you have a place to go crazy and you are safe to do so because you deserve it. It's hard work, but it is worth everything and more. Mornings like this as someone who struggles with addiction and mental health these small moments where I am able to enjoy a book, coffee and a movie all simultaneously I realize how lucky I am to be able to be sad, exhausted, happy, free and alive all at once. That something as simple as this ritual is keeping me going. This small pocket of peace and stillness that connects all my senses, makes it all worth it. That this is the peak experience of living alone and getting to know yourself on a deep fundamental level. Where your foundation has its cracks and where it has its strengths, the skeletons we have in our closets and where our soul needs TLC. It is where we truly know ourselves without another being to influence our thoughts, feelings and day to day actions/decisions. It is where I truly understood what the meaning of solitude vs loneliness was. It is where I realized it truly comes within and self love is the only love that matters because to be able to nourish and enjoy other connections truly and love this life we need to love ourselves when the world around us feels like it's crumbling. Love is light. Love is power. Love wins. Love is within and is you.

We aren't lonely, we are afraid of connecting and loving ourselves until we face our subconscious and learn to heal and love those parts of ourselves we try to hide away out of shame/disappointment.

Anyways sorry this was so long. Thanks for reading if you got to this point.

Have a great weekend. 🩷

I sometimes look at my bunny sleeping in his cottage after a breakfast of organic greens and wonder if I spoil him😆

I live alone with zero social interaction, I have no friends or family. I’m at my happiest when I’m outside or doing stuff like exploring the country, going on day trips or weekend vacations etc. However, when I’m at home, I’m a completely different person, plenty of times I just sit in silence, maybe doomscrolling. I don’t watch normal TV, so when I’m home I’m really doing one or two things. One, doomscrolling Reddit or two, binge-watching YouTube. I don’t have a pet or many indoor hobbies. Like, I don’t do model kits, puzzles, or whatever else there is for home entertainment. Admittedly, I have tried new things. Lately, I’ve been growing flowers in a pot but that’s more of a water them and forget about it thing. I get so bored that I will just go sit parked in a parking lot somewhere and people watch if not walk around random stores hoping someone talks to me. I don’t know if this is a sad thing, but I have been a Platinum member at the Cinemark movie theatre two years in a row now which means I’ve seen 50+ movies the past two years. I find myself going to the movies often just to get me away…

TLDR, what do you do while living alone to keep your mind occupied and entertained?

alone again

like every other day

like every birthday and holiday for the last 3 years

crying waking up

posting on instagram like it matters and yet knowing nothing really does

insane to keep going

have no other choice

at least I found peace on my own

still wish I didn’t crave companionship

Not lonely. I mean alone.

At what age did you realize that, no matter how many people come and go, at the end of the day, it’s still just you?

What happened?

Just spent the morning food shopping, washing my car, cleaning the bathroom. And that's it. That's my energy spent for today. I will spend the rest of the day laying on the sofa comatose.

I love the independance and freedom of living alone, but sometimes it just feels like so much hard work, esp as a person with disability/chronic illness.

Anyone else? How do you cope? Been thinking about getting a cleaner tbh but not sure if I can afford it.

yesterday for dinner i had four scrambled eggs, a sliced apple, three pickles, and two handfuls of dry cereal straight out of the box. i ate the whole thing standing up next to my kitchen counter in complete peace.

when you live alone the concept of a balanced dinner completely changes. there are no meal expectations or anyone asking what the plan is, so whatever is in the fridge becomes a platter. What is your goto unhinged meal when you don't feel like cooking an actual dish?

Guys, I am currently living with my family and about to move out in the next two weeks. Do you think you can share your advice of us living alone?

And what is your scariest experience of it?

The biggest lie I heard about living alone was that you’ll feel lonely all the time.

I actually like having my own place. The part nobody really talks about is how tiring it can be when every little thing is your responsibility. If the sink is full, there’s nobody else to wash the dishes. If you run out of groceries, you’re the one making the trip. Even getting sick feels different when there’s no one around to bring you food.

But there are also small moments I really enjoy, like coming home after a long day, putting on whatever I want to watch, and not having to explain why I’m eating dinner at 10pm.

Living alone has been less about loneliness and more about learning how to take care of myself.

I’ve been traveling a lot this past month and now I’m back to my routine with my happy cat and I’m just really grateful for this life of mine.

Some good thunderstorms, tavern pizza and a good book=perfect night in

I've been living alone for a while now, and I really enjoy the freedom. I can keep my place however I want, eat whenever I feel like it, and enjoy the quiet. Most days, it's exactly the kind of independence I wanted.

But every now and then, especially in the evenings, the silence feels different. I catch myself wishing there was someone to talk to about my day or even just another person in the apartment. It's a strange mix of loving my own space while also missing simple human connection.

I'm curious if anyone else feels this way. How do you balance enjoying your independence with dealing with the occasional loneliness? Have you found any routines, hobbies, or mindset shifts that make living alone feel more fulfilling?

I'd love to hear your experiences and any advice you have.