I’m 73 years old, I live alone and I feel fulfilled: 4 tips that work for me.

I am 73 years old and have lived alone for eight years. It was not a planned or dreamed decision. It just happened. At first I was afraid. I thought that loneliness was going to weigh me down like a stone in my chest. Today I can say something that I would never have imagined before: living alone can be a full, calm and deeply human experience.

It was not immediate. I made mistakes. Many. And I almost got lost in the process. But over time I understood that living alone is not the same as living in isolation, and that the difference between a serene life and a sad life is in small daily decisions.

Here are the four things you should never do if you live alone… and the four you should always do.

Four Things You Should Never Do

1. Never let your space get out of control

When you share your life with someone, order appears almost without noticing. When you live alone, no one sees the disorder… except you. And that’s where the problem begins.

Leaving accumulated plates, unopened papers, discarded clothes, is not only carelessness: it is a sign that something inside is also getting messy. External chaos creeps into the mind and makes everything heavier.

Your home is the only place you can completely control. If you lose that, you lose a key source of calm.

2. Never stop going out

At first, staying at home feels liberating. There are no schedules, there are no commitments. But without realizing it, one day five or six days go by without exchanging a word with anyone… and the most dangerous thing is that you don’t even notice it.

When you don’t go out, your world gets smaller. The mind slowly shuts down. The feeling of belonging to the world is diluted.

Going out is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

3. Never abandon your daily routine

Sleeping until any time seems like freedom, but it is a silent trap. The body and mind need rhythm. Without structure, the days are confused, spirits drop and sadness sets in without warning.

Routine is not a prison. It is an anchor.

4. Never cut off all human contact

Living alone does not mean disappearing. Being alone is one thing. Being isolated is quite another, and it’s dangerous.

No one should live in such a way that, if something happens to them, no one notices it. Absolute silence is not independence: it is vulnerability.

Four Things You Should Always Do

5. Clean your space every day, even if it’s just a little

Don’t expect to feel like it. Act first.

Twenty minutes a day are enough: plates, surfaces, tidying up the visible. That’s it. When the environment is calm, the mind also rests.

Motivation comes after action, not before.

6. Go out at least three times a week

It doesn’t have to be something special. A café, a short walk, the supermarket, a library, a square.

Going out keeps the brain active, preserves the voice, attention, the feeling of being part of the world. Plus, it shapes the week: not every day feels the same.

And sometimes, without looking for it, new people appear, new conversations, new stories.

7. Always have something to look forward to

A meal, an outing, a walk, a book you want to buy, a dessert you like. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small.

Having something on the calendar gives meaning to the days. Without expectations, time passes… but you don’t live.

Expect something, even if it’s simple. That changes completely the week.

8. Keep at least one regular contact

One call weekly. A coffee every fortnight. A person who knows that you exist and that you are also waiting for.

These are not deep conversations. Sometimes it’s enough to talk about small things. The important thing is that someone would notice your absence.

Human connection is not an extra. It is a form of care.

Tips and recommendations

• Use alarms or reminders to create simple routines.
• Keep a notebook or calendar where you write down small plans.
• Don’t wait to feel bad to call someone: do it when you’re well.
• If one day you have no energy, do only the bare minimum. Consistency is more important than perfection.
• Remember that asking for company is not weakness, it is wisdom.

Living alone does not have to be synonymous with sadness, abandonment or emptiness. It can be a space of calm, rediscovery and personal dignity. Loneliness is not measured by the number of people around, but by the quality of the bonds and care that one gives to oneself.

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we imagine it, but it can still be good. Very good. And when at the end of the day you close the door, take a deep breath and feel peace, you understand that being alone is not being lost. It is, sometimes, coming home.

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