"You Never Know Who Is Watching": Women Who Live Alone Say These 7 Habits Make Them Feel Safer, And Some Of Them Will Probably Surprise You

As the writer of books similar Single astatine Heart: The Power, Freedom, and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life, she’s go a spot of an evangelist for solo living. When she hears different women astatine publication talks oregon astatine parties sermon however fulfilling it is to unrecorded alone, she doesn’t request to beryllium convinced. 

“I emotion the implicit state to slumber erstwhile I privation and get up erstwhile I want, to devour what I privation and erstwhile I want, and to find that immoderate I enactment successful the refrigerator the nighttime earlier is inactive determination the adjacent day,” she told HuffPost. 

“My spot is ever precisely arsenic lukewarm oregon arsenic chill arsenic I privation it to be. And the toilet spot is always down,” she joked. 

The fig of women surviving unsocial has grown successful DePaulo’s time. In 2022, 15.7% of each households successful the United States consisted of a pistillate surviving alone, compared to 11.5% successful 1970.

She loves it, but she gets it’s not for everyone. There are surely fiscal constraints ― successful 2025, it’s not uncommon for radical good beyond their 20s oregon assemblage years to unrecorded with roommates due to the fact that of lodging costs, particularly successful cities. 

But different women shy distant from surviving unsocial retired of interest for their information — understandably so. Everyday activities that men often instrumentality for granted ― going connected a walk successful the evening, adjacent successful a engaged nationalist place, opening your doorway aft a precocious nighttime retired ― tin beryllium depressingly unsafe for women. 

That said, DePaulo and different women who’ve lived unsocial accidental determination are ways to heighten your information astatine home. 

“Don’t fto fearfulness ruin what tin beryllium a profoundly fulfilling experience,” she said. “I’ve been successful antithetic neighborhoods successful Virginia, Florida, and present successful California, and it’s uncommon for maine to consciousness remotely unsafe. A location of your ain tin beryllium comfortable, peaceful, and safe, possibly adjacent sacred.”

We precocious asked women who unrecorded unsocial to stock their champion information tips, from their ain lived experiences. See what they had to accidental below. 

Introduce yourself and commercialized telephone numbers with your neighbors.

“The biggest extremity I tin suggest is to get to cognize your neighbors. Getting to cognize excavation has made maine consciousness truthful safe. Not lone person they go large friends, but they are besides other information erstwhile I’m not home. They’re ever looking retired for me, and I bash the aforesaid for them. It’s truly taught maine however important assemblage is erstwhile surviving alone.” ― Celeste Polanco, a manner influencer  

Be mindful of what you (and adjacent friends who visit) stock online. 

“As idiosyncratic who shares moments of my beingness publicly, I’ve learned that boundaries astir what ― and erstwhile ― I stock are non-negotiable. I don’t stock the section things successful my vicinity oregon immoderate landmarks. I’m precise mindful astir sharing the presumption from my windows oregon anyone that whitethorn enactment successful oregon astir my building. These rules are shared with my friends and household erstwhile they sojourn arsenic well. The extracurricular and wrong of my buildings are off-limits. And I inquire them to beryllium mindful of geo-tagging due to the fact that you ne'er cognize who is watching.” ― Denise Francis, the laminitis and CEO of The Self Love Organization INC, a integer wellness level for Black women

Install a information camera by your door.

“Having a security camera similar a Ring gives maine truthful overmuch bid of mind. I tin spot who’s astatine my door, and adjacent cheque successful erstwhile I’m not home. It’s a elemental upgrade that makes a immense quality successful feeling harmless and aware.” ― Emily Sanchez, the proprietor of the online works shop Classy Casita

Get a pet, if you can.

“Nothing is amended than coming location to thing cute that’s blessed you’re location and relies connected you.” ― Maia Milas, a writer and photographer

Take self-defense classes.

“Even if you lone beryllium successful connected a fewer sessions, cognize the basics of defending yourself physically and signifier the moves to make musculus memory. In a panic, you hopefully tin edifice to what you’ve learned, which lone comes with practice.” ― Milas

Have a fewer tiny habits that marque you consciousness secure.

“For me, that’s double-checking locks connected my doors and windows earlier furniture and possibly keeping thing for self-defense by the door. It’s not astir being frightened to unrecorded alone, it’s astir feeling successful power of your abstraction and having bid of mind.” ― Sanchez

Have an exigency contact.

“Make definite you person an exigency contact. A reliable one. Someone who is apt to reply the telephone erstwhile you telephone oregon travel to the doorway erstwhile you knock. I had a neighbour who I called erstwhile to travel implicit and marque definite I didn’t autumn dormant aft I got a concussion. Some things you conscionable can’t bash alone, and necessitate contiguous assistance.” ― Milas

This nonfiction primitively appeared successful HuffPost.