Practical Ways To Practice Self-Care While Living Single

Own the happiness and loneliness single life brings.

I recently listened to a live episode of Oprah'sSuperSoul Conversations with Tracee Ellis Ross, where the Pattern Beauty founder spoke about making space for all the emotions single life provides.

"I can feel scared that I'm gonna be lonely and also ask myself, 'Well, don't you like being alone?'"

Keeping space for both truths allows you to live an honest life - when it feels good, and when it doesn't.

Plan a date night with yourself indoors.

Honestly, solo dates need to become just as normal as date nights for couples. Get cute for yourself, sis! Run a bath, put on what makes you feel the sexiest, grab some wine, and watch something that makes you laugh, hard. It might not sound like much, but you'd be surprised how those small choices can change the course of your coming week. Last night, I watched Lena Waithe's Twenties in my favorite bodysuit, and I woke up this morning, ready to go for my goals and leave my favorite 90's playlist on repeat all day.

Check on your other single friends; chances are they're struggling too.

Singleness can often result in many of us, living very selfish lives (it's not our fault, 80 percent of the time it's just us.) Last week I was feeling alone, so I called a friend who's newly single to catch up. Minutes in, I found out she was pregnant, switching jobs, and moving during the pandemic. Naturally, I switched gears, ready to put on strong friend hat, but to my surprise, she held space for me too. She told me it was OK to be sad, and that she was proud of me for leaving a past relationship. That conversation reminded me that even when I feel alone, I have a community of women ready to hold me down, too - no matter what.

Be patient with yourself.

The lot of us were already dealing with everyday issues, and then Rona came adding more stress. Collectively, I don't think we've given each other the space to feel however we need to right now. So if you wake up and have the energy to work on that side hustle, do it - but if all you have room for is your 9 to 5 via Zoom, and reheating leftovers, that's OK too. Whether we realize it or not, our mental health can be impacted by staying indoors for so long, give yourself room to just be.

Get a virtual happy hour going.

Thanks to the liquor store being named an essential business, my girls and I have been hanging whether we can link up IRL, or not. I was curious if a virtual happy hour would feel the same, but three hours later, I felt just as connected to my crew as I do on our girls' night out.

Ultimately we don't know how long we'll be inside, but while we're here, let's be extra kind to each other. Check on your group chat, call your mom, watch your favorite movie as many times as you need to. And when you go to get essentials, make sure you fly sis - your Quarantine ting might be waiting for you in the aisle re-upping on his favorite snacks.

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