What You Learn About Yourself When You Live Independently
Many of us live with parents for the first two decades of life – and usually more. So when you move out of home and go somewhere else, it can be a real test of character.
In this post, we take a look at some of the things that you learn about yourself when you move away from home for the first time.
Many of us live with parents for the first two decades of life – and usually more. So when you move out of home and go somewhere else, it can be a real test of character.
In this post, we take a look at some of the things that you learn about yourself when you move away from home for the first time.
You Can Do More Than You Think
When you live with parents, you can get into the habit of thinking how hard it would be to live your life without them. But when you live independently, you often find yourself pleasantly surprised by what you can achieve. You thought you needed other people around you to help get you through the day. But actually, there’s a lot that you can do yourself.
This experience works on an unconscious level too. The more you realise you can do, the more challenges in life you’re likely to take on.
You Have To Rely On Yourself
When you live with your parents, you can always go to them if you have an emotional problem. But when you live independently, you learn to deal with more issues yourself. Many people find that this process actually helps them to become more robust characters. They are more able to deal with the punches that life throws at them and come back fighting afterwards.
You Get Used To Cooking For One
Cooking for one is a massive hassle. Very few stores sell fresh food suitable for just one person, so you often wind up with a lot of extra stuff. The trick here is to prepare meals in batches. If you have ingredients for four people, prepare four servings of a particular dish and then put the rest in containers and put it in the freezer for another day,
You Build New Relationships
When you’re stuck at home, you can get into the habit of relying on your parents to provide you with all the relationships you need to get by. However, when you live more independently, you need to focus on this relationship-building process yourself. Life as a boarding student, for instance, is all about gathering a family of people around you who support each other. Same goes for young professionals who move to new cities. Being independent forces you to strike out socially, develop new skills, and gain valuable contacts.
You Can Become More Financially Independent
When living at home, you depend almost entirely on your parents for your financial wellbeing. They support you by providing accommodation and paying all the bills. Unfortunately, this experience means that you don’t always learn a huge amount about managing your money. And as you get older, that can land you in a heap of trouble.
Learning to manage your finances at a young age can massively reward you as you grow up. Saving in your twenties pays off big-time once you hit your sixties.
So there you have it: some of the things you learn about yourself when you live more independently.
This is a wonderful article that is full of great information. Living independently is something that can be a struggle for some people, and a great thing for others. Self-sufficient is not a bad thing at all and this article touches base on many self-sufficient tasks you need to do to live independently. One of my favorite topics that you touched base on is becoming financially independent. -Ryan