“Being alone is not the same as being lonely” writes Reader’s Digest reader Lee from South Australia. Her wise words were just one of the comments we received on this fascinating topic. Read on for the rest…

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I love the quiet thinking time that allows my inner soul to breathe. – Alison

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Cooking is definitely the hardest part of living alone. When you get home from a long day, preparing a healthy meal seems like a big task and one quickly morphs into a cookie monster. #nomnomnom #dinnerforone #crumbs #cookies #foreveracatlady – Lauren

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The opportunity to just be silent regularly. The world is so busy and noisy and there’s always background noise – I love the chance to just be quiet, alone at home. – Lorraine

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I love the freedom but at times I hate the responsibility. You can’t just call out to X to take out the garbage. – Barbara

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I have still not got used to waking up alone in the morning in a silent house. I am grateful for my little dog who happily greets me, but the conversation is limited. I try to keep busy but often think how nice it would be to have some physical and moral support with the many tasks of keeping a house and garden under control. I would also love to have someone to dress up for and go out to dinner with, or on holidays. With a limited budget, I try to visit my family interstate and meet friends for coffee or lunch occasionally. What I love about living alone is not to have to explain your purchases or your activities and you can spend the whole day at the horse show if you wish, then don’t have to cook for anyone if you are tired. – Annette

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I hate not having anyone to share funny stories with. – Vivienne

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I love doing what I want, when I want and not having to discuss it with someone or ask permission to do it or justify my reasons for doing it as I have. – Julie

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I like being able to leave the house without having to explain where or why I’m going. – Jane

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What I love most about being alone is that you can do things at your own pace, you have all your time (up to you to deal with your time) and there is no-one to bother or be bothered by you. On the other way around, when loneliness strikes that’s when hate comes in, when you miss the people you love and you have the feeling of being ignored. But at the end of the day, you still find a way to counter that loneliness so it would be love over hate, in living alone. – Roselyn

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I hate the isolation of living alone, especially when without a car. However, I love that, when living alone, I can wear my pyjamas all day if I want to. – Bela

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I hate it as it makes me miss my children too much. – Nicole

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There’s a place for everything, everything in its place, and I know just where to find… everything! I love it! – Deb

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The peace! I love it. After being a busy mum of three boys, it’s a rarity! – Tamara

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Being a tad strange, pedantic, excessive and controlling (such is my weirdly happy life), I have found being a single home dweller allows me to be content and still in control. I can have visitors but rarely, but the sound of my own existence although socially wrong is how I survive. – Dave

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Living alone, I like the fact that I can eat when and what I want, be myself in my skin. At work (I am a checkout-chick, in my 60s) I see the results of living alone, especially in seniors when I know I am the only person they can chat to for two minutes. I hate the fact I can’t share a comment with someone while watching a TV show or have a conversation. – Pat

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I miss the company. Having someone to say good morning and goodnight to. The kiss I used to get before leaving home to go shopping. The security of someone laying next to me in bed at night. The oh-so-quiet meal times. I hate living alone! – Joy

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I can have privacy and total peace and autonomy just by myself, freedom to do and act in my own way living alone. No human conflicts and disputes arisen from living with others, do not need to adapt oneself to accommodate other living habits… so many gains from living alone and I definitely love it. – Carol

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I love being able to have absolute control of the TV remote! – Carolyn

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I started living alone 10 months ago. At first it was frightening, as I have never experienced it and I’m 55. Now I’m loving it. I go out and do not have to worry about the time factor. I’m starting to save money. Life is great. – Sharon

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I LOVE everything about it. But sometimes, late at night, I truly wish I had a soul mate to talk to instead of dark silence. – Karen

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What I love about being alone is that I’m able to do what I want to do. I hate it most when I’ve done everything for the day and ran out of things to do, which eventually makes me bored to death. I hate it also when I feel so lonely that makes me cry really hard. – Iris

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I love everything about living alone – making choices to clean or not, never being disturbed from sleep by bathroom noises or footsteps. Being able to buy anything and everything without having to explain the purchases to someone. Frankly, in my humble opinion there’s no other way to live! – Lisa

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The thing I love the most about living alone is you are able to make your own decisions, which makes you feel much more responsible. After years of having most decisions made for you, it makes you feel free. But what I don’t like about being on my own is the companionship, to have someone to share things with, coming home to an empty house, the feeling of loneliness at night, having no-one to discuss TV programmes with, having a meal on my own… there are so many things I miss, which outweighs the feeling of being able to make my own decisions and feeling free. – Carmel

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I never have to do anything I don’t want to. Being alone is not the same as being lonely. I have a few good friends when I need company. I love to read. – Lee

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Living alone is lonely at times, but the advantages are greater. You are able to do as one pleases, travel, veg out, coffee with friends most days, leave a mess and no-one to nag you to clean up, cook what you like, experiment with whatever your heart desires. – Judith

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I love being able to spend hours in the bathroom! – Leigh

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I love the silence, no radio, no TV, just me and a good book. – Lyn

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I love being able to have what I want for meals, not having to make or please someone else. Not having to wash up the dishes every day, but doing it every second day. Not having to close the toilet door (my dog and both cats love to come in when I am on the toilet) so the pet would scratch on the door. It would be nice to have someone to go to the cinemas with, so I don’t go. I buy the movies and watch them when I want. I don’t mind being on my own, but I do have three pets to keep me company. – Kerry

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After working all day to a timetable, I love the freedom of no time constraints at home. – Annette

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I love to stay up watching TV as late as I want, but it is also nice to know that there is someone else in the house. – Brendan

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I love living alone, I can be myself with no-one to judge me and do what I want with no-one hassling me to be who they want me to be. – Amy

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I love living alone, the TV is just an ornament, too intrusive. I can play MY music on my keyboard as and when I want. I can chat to friends for hours on the phone because the phone is “mine alone”. If I make a mess it can stay there until I clean it up! I love cleaning my house but the garden – least said about that the better. I ALWAYS set the table for meals and I always wash the dishes afterwards. That’s the fun part of living alone. The best part is – I am in the best company and can praise myself or growl at myself whichever the case may be. – Dennis

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I hate being alone because I have always had people around me and never lived by myself when I was younger. Suddenly my husband passed away, kids starting to stop talking to me and visiting, no sign of them, it hurts my feelings. Only one son visits me the other two, don’t know where they are. The days are not bad, it’s the nights and the weekends the hardest, and Christmas. – Marie

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I hate that I can’t blame my flatulence on others, but love that I’m the only one who knows it happened. – Shelley

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I enjoy time alone. I get to really listen to my thoughts and relax my mind and body. I feel refreshed and ready to go again! – Chloe

To help discover a mental strength to face the challenges that come with solo life, read the latest insights from author Jane Mathews on learning to love living along, including The Seven Tools of Solo Living.

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