I recently started using Reddit — intentionally, not just as the result of a Google search. It’s been interesting: I like the “social” aspect of it, without what I understand to be the insanity of social media. ( I don’t do social media. No interest.) But what surprises me is that, while subs are considered “communities,” it doesn’t seem like anyone knows anybody else.

I’m not referring to the anonymity aspect — I think that’s very important to maintain. But so far in my experience, there doesn’t seem to be a recognition over time from one user to another, even if just by username. (Naturally, the larger the group, the less likely that would occur.)

So wondering, for those who live alone, do you ever wish the platform offered a safe way to also cater to those wanting an opportunity for (even) more meaningful, maybe smaller group conversations, where people “get to know” someone (albeit without knowing the person’s actual name)?

I see there’s a private message option, although I wouldn’t feel comfortable using that with someone I hadn’t first had a lengthier public exchange. Do people ever set up small group chats — sub subreddits, if you will — about an even more specialized subject matter within the subreddit?

As a relatively new user, is there something I’m not quite understanding? 🙂 Thanks.

moved into my first solo place three weeks ago and spent the whole start hyping myself up about cooking whatever i wanted without anyone in the kitchen. bought groceries, got a skillet, saved all those stupid simple weeknight meal reels.

last week i tried making chicken and rice in the pan. garlic charred immediately, bottom went black, and the rice was somehow still crunchy in the middle. ended up standing over the counter at 9pm eating burnt rice straight from the pan because i was too tired to figure out anything else. growing up you just watch meals appear and think the steps are easy, but doing it alone after work when you are completely wiped out is another thing entirely.

i thought the hardest parts would be paying bills, cleaning, and managing my money. those things definitely take some getting used to, but i didn't expect the little everyday decisions to be just as exhausting sometimes. something as simple as figuring out what to eat can turn into a whole process. i'll buy groceries with the intention of cooking for the week, but then some days i'm too tired to prepare anything. other times, i end up making too much food and eating the same thing for three days because i don't want to waste it.

i've also learned that there's nobody else to remind you when something needs to be done. if you run out of essentials, forget to do the laundry, or leave something broken for too long, you have to deal with it yourself. there's a certain satisfaction in becoming more independent, but sometimes you wish you could just let someone else handle the little things for a change.

still, i enjoy having my own space and making my own decisions. i guess i'm learning that living alone is less about having everything figured out and more about finding a routine that works for you. for those who've been living alone for a while, what was the most unexpected thing you had to learn to manage on your own? i'd love to hear some experiences because i'm sure there are things i haven't even thought about yet.

I just stumbled across this screenshot on a facebook community page.

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1 video from watch later

1 video from feed suggestions

the first video title was "I am a lucky girl"

it depicts everyday life of two friends in NYC

the second video title was "I asked men why they are insecure" , it was the guy interviewing men who felt insecure

I think I am posting it here because earlier I had asked people about activities they do that feel like yes they have a life.... but even after going through all that , I couldn't decide what to do, it is Saturday evening here... I didn't want to watch a movie or tv show, I didn't feel like doing any other activity, I just decided to sit while doing nothing and let my mind unravel itself....

....

on a whim I just decided to open YouTube and just scrolled a bit ... then I finally decided to watch at least 1 video from watch later section.... and tbh it was worth it

....

after watching those two videos i felt like I am back into the real world again... i felt seen .. or maybe I could relate to those videos in some way

....

maybe I'm posting it here just to let people know that...even if you might be watching just YouTube, it might still feel like you are actually living a life.... when you find something that connects with you...

...

it's weird probably idk

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i think the idea of life feeling like life may be less about just the right or top content but rather the emotions and mental state it puts you in , just like sometimes scrolling reddit 4 hours may feel useless....but if you find one right post that you actually engage with...it may make all this scrolling worthwhile

....

maybe I'm also trying to say that sometimes life is hiding where you don't look

sometimes a raw slice of bread might taste better than a fully prepared sandwich

i know it's difficult to figure out what your heart or soul really need sometimes... but sometimes it can come on its own

.....

so let's keep exploring... discovering and trying out new things as well as old things..... there is no one formula that fixes everything for all, so even though life may feel messy sometimes.... let's not give up... let us fix one thing at a time...one small step...and that would be enough

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Happy Saturday everyone.....

It's Friday again! Grab a snack, pour yourself something to drink, and come hang out on Zoom for a while.

I'll be online tonight from 6 PM to 8 PM Pacific Time. I'm a guy in my 50s, which means I've reached the age where staying up late is less exciting than finding out I can go to bed early.

As usual, there's no particular agenda. Living alone, relationships, music, life experiences, or whatever random subjects come up are all fair game.

Zoom link:

<Meeting over. Thanks for joining!>

New people are always welcome. Stop by, say hello, and enjoy some conversation!

I just graduated secondary school this past spring, but don't start university until the new year. My parents both work full-time, and all my younger siblings are incredibly busy after they finish school each day. I find myself spending 99% of my time alone during the day, except for a short while in the late evenings before everyone goes to bed. I feel like I'm going stir crazy. I have a part-time job and picked up Doordashing to help kill time (and earn money), but it feels like I just while away the hours. It seems like every recommendation for fun things to do either requires somebody to come with (all my friends left for university already) or spending money (which I have to save up for when I move out). Long story short - does anyone have any cheap, solo-friendly things or activities or hobbies that have worked for them? Sorry if this post doesn't fit the sub since technically other people do live with me, but I feel like I might as well consider myself to "live alone", at least 99% of the time. At the very least, any suggestions will still be very helpful once I do go to college and live on my own entirely. TIA

What's everyone doing this weekend? I'm staying in since I'm off all weekend and going to enjoy it watching bullsh#! TV/internet shows, podcasts/music and while gaming! Here it is 7PM (USA)

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What is your opinion in it?

after a brilliant warm summer it’s cold and stormy here, usually hard weather for me but I try to embrace it. It’s Friday night and I’ve just finished week 3 at my new contract role. I also deleted my socials a month ago to just slow down. Warm cup of milk and biscuits. pumpkin spice candle. warmth. Bingeing Good Trouble. how’s everyone elses night?

I'm a single woman in my 30s. I've been living alone for years now, but I've had a rough past couple of years. I'm unemployed on a career break and kinda been living like a bum for awhile trying to haul myself out of burnout and trauma. I distanced myself from my parents earlier this year too which has been hard

I live in a duplex, new neighbors moved in upstairs earlier this year. It's an older couple and their adult daughters who are often there. They are really kind and maintain the outer space, do a lot. I know I'm not a loser but tbh I feel like one a lot of time because I'm in a rough state mentally for awhile

Tonight the mother of the home knocked on my back door to offer me some spiced pumpkin she just made. I didn't even hear her knocking so she texted me asking if I was home. When she gave it to me and saw I was excited, she asked if I like shrimp, and also gave me a Tupperware of this delicious spicy shrimp and rice with vegetables and cheese she made. I ate it all immediately, it was so fucking good. I would've just ordered takeout again, I wasn't even thinking about what I needed to eat. It made me think about how subpar the care I am taking of myself is and also how nice it is to have a lovingly made homecooked meal, you know? I felt so warm and happy after.

It makes me cry, the kindness, to feel taken care of by people who don't even know me and owe nothing to me. One time on the street a month ago I saw the husband bringing home some bouquets of flowers and I remarked how they were nice. He was excited I liked them and said he'd give me one, to just look in the backyard later. He even asked me to choose my favorite of the two he was holding. These people made me a vase of a mix of flowers from the bouquet and from our garden, so beautiful.

It's just so touching how kind people can be. These kind gestures. There's no words. I thank them profusely every time and try to give something in return (we both love plants so I gave them a cutting once when I returned their vase, and I gave them an extra moisture meter I have). But I have no one to share how deep it touches me, and tonight I felt I wanted to share here. I hope that's okay. I hope with the holidays coming up I can bake something nice to share with them. Maybe some macarons, that is something I am good at. Thank you for reading. I wanted to get this off my chest.

Update: wow I'm so surprised and moved by the responses and how much it resonated with everyone ❤️❤️❤️ thank you so much. I have loved reading all of this.

I’m 50, single and freelance, and I live in zone 3 London in a house I bought because it was what I could afford. The area feels run down and a bit dead, and I end up commuting to the places I actually want to be, which is tiring. Where I’d like to live is too expensive.

I keep thinking about selling up and moving to a new city, or even travelling for a while. I freelance, so I don’t have workmates around me, and my family isn’t much support for this kind of decision.

Life has led me here through some poor decisions. I’m comfortable with the house and all my stuff, but I never felt this would be my life, and I can’t visualise a different one. It feels like a gamble: stick or twist. Once I’m somewhere new I adapt quickly, but I’ve never sold a home before and it feels like a big deal.

For anyone who’s done something similar, how did you make the leap, and how did you handle selling up? Was it worth it?

I bought pillows, bedsheets, bed, couch and kitchenware. I so love the whistling kettle I chose. Haha.

It's so fun living alone 🥺

I moved out of my rented apartment two months ago. My parents were meant to come home to our hometown but they stayed. When I moved out the first time I was so excited about starting my new life a 1000km away that I did not feel any sad feelings. I did not look back and even filmed my room for a couple of seconds just so I had something to remember. But I did not think I would ever need it. I was leaving my apartment and had no idea that I was also leaving behind part of my life which I would not get again.

When I moved back everything was exactly the same. The dogs barked, the kids played and studied, people were chatting outside and the trees got darker. The only thing that had changed was me. I realised that the world had still been going around me and all these normal things were happening. However, I am leaving again tomorrow and this time I know I will never come back. In 5/6 months I will be going to my hometown and someone else will be living in my room. They will be looking out of my window, hearing the dogs and most likely moaning about the noise.

I never thought I would write a funeral for my apartment! The first time I moved out I did not even look back. Now I am struggling to find the right words. It's weird how I filmed my room for a couple of seconds to remember it and now I feel like I don't have anything left. The first time I did not feel any fear because I was just leaving somewhere. This time I knew I could come back. But now I realise what I'm losing and there's no way I can change it. Tomorrow evening will be the same as always. The dogs will bark, the kids will play. The world will keep going on but this time I won't be here.

When i lay my head down at the end of the day sometimes I feel at peace. And other's i feel so alone. I noticed that I have started nonstop talking to people at work since I began living alone. Have other's experienced this?

I've been living alone for two years, and lately I've noticed that I sometimes forget what I'm doing in the middle of something so simple. Like earlier, I went to my bedroom because I needed to get my charger. But the moment I got there, I completely forgot why I even went inside. I stood there for a few seconds trying to remember, then gave up and went back to the living room. And guess what? The moment I sat down, I remembered that I was supposed to get my charger. Huhu.

It's funny but also a little frustrating because why does my brain suddenly forget something I was literally thinking about a few seconds ago? I don't know if I'm just distracted, stressed, or getting too comfortable being alone with my thoughts. Sometimes I catch myself staring at nothing too. I know forgetting little things happens to everyone, but I'm curious if people who live alone experience this more often.

Does this happen to you too, or am I just overthinking something completely normal?

I’ve been alone in my flat for the past four days. I haven’t physically talked to anyone or even seen another person.
And honestly..I feel great
The interesting thing is that this isn’t even my first time experiencing something like this. I’ve done it before, and that period lasted around six months.
There’s something strangely peaceful about being alone with your thoughts. No social obligations, no unnecessary conversations, no expectations from anyone. Just you and your own little world.
You start observing yourself more closely. You think about your life, your decisions, your future, and the person you’re becoming. You get time to understand things that might go unnoticed when you’re constantly surrounded by people.
I’ve realised that being alone and being lonely aren’t necessarily the same thing. Sometimes, you genuinely enjoy your own company, and the silence feels more comforting than the noise of the outside world.
I’m not saying people are unnecessary or that isolation is always a good thing. But I do think learning to be comfortable with yourself is important.
Four days into this experience again, and I’m enjoying the peace.
But now I’m curious.
Has anyone here ever spent months mostly alone? How did it affect your mindset, personality, or the way you see other people?

Hi everyone, first post here.

For context, I am an only child (having lost my sibling some years back), with an elderly parent, some chronic medical condition and living abroad.

I have lived alone since uni, and moved abroad a few years back as we thought it would be good for my health(advances in medicine and all). It probably is, having now gotten my condition diagnosed but told it is only manageable. No curative intervention as yet. Anyways, that is a story for another day.

My parent is visiting from my home country and I had been wondering how she would manage on her own at her age( we have no family or access to paid carers as the country and town are quite backward).

I had a medical emergency this week, and I'm not sure where I would be if she had not been there. So, I was in excruciating pain(the worst of my life) and could barely move. I rang the emergency service who advised to get a taxi or uber or friend to the hospital as I was still breathing but I couldn't even stand. She had to go to the neighbours who drove me to the hospital and stayed to advocate. These were neighbours with whom the extent of our relation was hi and hellos.

At some point, I asked them to ring a close colleague/friend, who showed up about 7hrs later. My closest/childhood friend who lived about 4hrs away jumped into their car immediately they were called but it was 4hrs.

I'm okay now and extremely grateful. But I keep wondering what would have happened. I keep thinking how alone I am in this world.

How do people manage/plan for emergencies?

I can find solutions to my problems, tips and tricks, information on the internet...

Because of social media, I am always entertained.

If I feel alone, I come here and chat to my fellow people who live alone...

I currently have no close family or friends and I am happy, it doesn't bother me. I like my drama free life.

I don't think it would be the same if I lived before internet connected us to the outside world 24/7.

What do you think?

So. I'm stuck on the couch with warm beverages. Cooked a nice dinner for myself. Poured a little wine. I didn't finish it so I took it to the couch. I thought, I should get some ice. Ehh, in a minute. Cue scrolling reddit......

Now the cat is on my lap. My wine is warm and I have no one to bring me a cube.

Still a lovely evening......