Kicking Loneliness When You're Home Alone

I've mentioned this a couple of times before on my blog, but I think that I am such a sociable person. I normally like to surround myself with friends and during term time you'll barely find me at home in my flat. However after spending the year in Germany and living alone this Summer, I have really had to get used to enjoying my own company and filling my evenings alone. I've learned to appreciate down time and to use the evenings and my days off to focus on myself and my hobbies, whether it be going to the gym or working on my blog, cleaning the flat or curling up with a good book, being alone has helped me focus and gather my thoughts. Of course, there are the odd evenings where I just wish my friends lived closer, or just wanted someone to share a cup of tea and a chat with, but I've found a couple of ways in which I can stop the loneliness creeping in and I'd share them with you today.

Podcasts are perhaps the newest and my favourite thing to listen to when I'm pottering around the house by myself. With more focus and interesting topics of conversation than the radio, you can half concentrate on them whilst you're doing other things, or just stick one on and sit down with a cup of tea. My favourite is still the At Home With series by The Anna Edit and Lily Pebbles. It's free to download and each podcast is just under an hour. Some of the most interesting episodes for me were the Liz Earle (seriously this woman is incredible! I've used Cleanse and Polish for years but I couldn't believe how many other things she was involved with and just how wide her beauty and health knowledge was!) and the Kate La Vie episode, which really gave a good insight into a bloggers life.

I try and have fresh flowers in my flat every week now, and I don't know whether it's because there's another living thing there, but they totally brighten up my flat and having the routine of watering them and looking after them makes me feel a little less lonely. Is that weird? Probably.  

Cooking a nice big meal is such a treat as it's so hard to do when you are trying to portion control for one. There's something so therapeutic about spending a couple of hours preparing a meal and listening to it bubble away on the stove that is so cosy and comforting.

And if all that fails, stick on your favourite tunes and belt out a couple of classics. There's nobody to tell you to be quiet and you can dance around like a prat without feeling self-conscious. Having a little solo sing a long is a guaranteed mood lifter, and since I can categorically not sing at all it's something I save for those nights when I'm alone. Favourite playlists include the greatest hits from musicals like Les Mis and Wicked, or, if I'm feeling extra sassy, the Disney Princess Album is a winner. 

A good pamper and a good book can never go amiss along with a big blanket and Netflix, but what are your tips for beating loneliness when you're home alone? Let me know in the comments!!

XOXO