Living Alone: Survival Tips with Hello Fresh

You need a TV

I was listening to a podcast (#shocker) and this woman called in and shared that she lived alone and she also lived without a TV because she didn’t like to get distracted by it. I would have stopped dead in my tracks when I heard that, but I was already at a complete standstill in traffic so I just made a little “O” with my mouth with a look of awe. I would be nowhere without my TV. To make it more cost-efficient, I did without cable. I just have a DVD player and an Amazon FireTV stick. (Literally the best thing ever and a great Christmas gift, FYI.)

I wake up and immediately turn on Netflix and watch until I leave for school. I just need something going on in the background. Cleaning my apartment I listen to podcasts and while studying I like to play Christmas music this time of year. Ya just need noise!! It’s weird to be alone, but that really helps.

You need to schedule social time

If I’m feeling irratible/anxious/sad or any of the unwelcome emotions above in some kind of uncomfortable mod-podge of being “in my feels”, it’s 90% of the time due to the fact that I have not gotten enough social interaction that week. You’re like a new puppy, you need to be socialized. Your dog park is the nearest coffee shop where you can meet up with a friend or the local yoga studio where you can make acquaintances with people who also can’t do a headstand, but would love to keep trying.

I sit down with my planner every Sunday evening and while I’m scheduling my study time for the group, I schedule social time, too. I text a couple friends about lunch plans and I also attend a bi-weekly writing group that meets at a local coffee house. This is so important, so write it down and follow through!

You don’t need a dog, but you should try to keep something alive besides yourself.

I opted for a little herb garden. I got basil, thyme, and mint and 2 out of 3 plants made it to harvest. (I just couldn’t find the “thyme” to water it! Ha ha….ha. I’m not funny.) I water my plants everyday and even though it’s a relatively small responsibility, it gives an extra sense of purpose to my daily routine and I almost feel like I have a small sense of company sitting on my balcony. So get a plant…or a fish. It’s a personal preference thing.

Cook nice meals for yourself, even if it’s just you

Now, my hardest problem with this is buying all the ingredients. The grocery store is not my favorite place to be. Maybe it’s the parking lot traffic or the way I can never seem to find a cart that doesn’t roll down the aisles with a horrible screeching noise, but regardless – I just want to get in and get out. I’d been seeing these meal subscription boxes all over my Instagram feed and it was making me hungry, so I decided to reach out to Hello Fresh.

Now, with my boxes with all the fresh ingredients for 3 complete meals, I don’t have to spend extra time wandering the aisles of the grocery store with my squeaky cart. Plus, I was able to pick meals that fit my dietary needs! (They have a classic, family, and veggie plan if you’re interested!)

I found that this semester, I was totally slacking on the self nourishment in the dinner area. Most nights, I make some weird combo of sweet potato plus whatever vegetable is in my fridge plus applesauce because it kind of feels like it fits and I’m always left feeling unsatisfied. At the end of the day, I want to cook a good meal for myself as a reward for being a total #boss and getting through the day on my own.

My favorite meal I made was the protein-packed rice bowl! For me, it made about three servings since I like to eat smaller meals, and I was so psyched to have leftovers. This was a tasty stir-fry like dish that would be perfect for school or the office! It only took about 30 minutes to make and the only thing I had to provide were the pots and pans.

I highly recommend trying this out if you live alone or with roommates. You can have a little cooking party and enjoy something different and special for the night!