It’s easy: it’s cold outside and going home and watching TV every night sounds like the best option for you. The weekend comes and you’re looking forward to binge-watching Netflix and reading a book. That sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? Well, maybe.
It’s OK to do once in a while, but if you let yourself think that the luxury of alone time is better than being out in the world with friends or seeing a movie or working out, you are creating a slippery slope. Becoming isolated is an issue for many single women and can spiral into depression easily.
So if you have to force yourself to stay active outside your own home, then do it. Make yourself go to a movie. Meet a friend for dinner. Go to a meetup in your town. Workout. Do anything you can do to stay active and to spend time off your couch. It will help you in so many ways.
The loneliness that can set in for single women over fifty is no joke. No kids at home, no love interest, maybe less money than you used to have. It can bring you to your knees. And, becoming isolated just allows you to wallow in that pool of loneliness and can only make it worse.
Make plans! Make plans for the week, right now, whether they are by yourself or with friends. You will help yourself fight off increased loneliness and depression. You will spend less time alone. You will feel like part of the outside world. You may make some new friends. And, you will definitely feel less like an observer and more like a participant in your own life.
