Will more people want to live on their own as a result of lockdown?

Lockdown has left us unable to escape the everyday habits of the people we live with.

Whether it’s the messiness of a flatmate or the irritating behaviour of a partner – the intensity of quarantine life is enough to cast doubts over current living arrangements.

‘Some people might have struggled managing relationships with the people they live with – heightened by a lack of control when it comes to being able to negotiate different ways of living,’ explains consultant psychologist Dr Elena Touroni.

So, will mounting tensions spark a rise in people wanting to live on their own post-lockdown?

Hilda Burke, psychotherapist, couples counsellor and author of The Phone Addiction Workbook, says decisions will very much depend on individual experience.

But she also stresses that it’s common for people to search for a reason to explain their feelings and frustrations and that these can often be placed on ‘external’ factors, such as partners, family or housemates.

Hilda tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I think it all depends on what people’s experience of lockdown has been.

‘I think it’s human nature to want to look for an obvious explanation for our feelings and the most obvious things we turn to are “externalities”. 

‘So it may be that we feel that the reason we’re struggling is because we’re living alone, or alternatively that our flatmates are making it so much worse.’

She adds that while we might think these living arrangements are causing us problems, in reality, it’s more likely to be a deeper, underlying reason.

Hilda adds: ‘We may fantasise that it’d be “so much easier” if we were living with someone or alternatively if we were living totally alone.

‘But, in reality, it’s rarely that simple and what’s bothering us may be internal anxieties that have little to do with who we’re living with or without.’

Dr Tim Cantopher, a consultant psychiatrist at Dr Morton’s, says we won’t necessarily see a rise in people wanting to switch up their living situation post-lockdown.

He tells us: ‘It’s not that everyone will want to be on their own post-lockdown, just that the enforced isolation has brought us face to face with who we are.’

Lockdown is the first time many of us have experienced the raw nature of everyday life – with the hustle and bustle stripped away.

Naturally, this has led to people learning more about themselves and the way they like to live.

Chartered psychologist Dr Meg Arroll says: ‘For many people, this has been the first time they’ve experienced lengthy periods on their own. Some of my clients have said this slower pace of life, with less social occasions and responsibilities, has been a relief. 

‘This forced solitude can feel uncomfortable at first, but it allows more time for reflection, which can help us to focus on our core beliefs, what we really want out of life and the way we want our days to look like.’ 

In general, experts suggest that a desire to move out or live alone post-lockdown is more likely to stem from an underlying personal reason, rather than an irritating housemate.

On the flip side, Dr Elena, co-founder/co-CEO of My Online Therapy, stresses the isolating nature of lockdown may lead to people craving more social interaction.

She adds: ‘To some extent, we have all been starved of social contact and connection these last couple of months. 

‘If anything, for those living alone it may have reinforced the idea of how much they value companionship and connection. I believe that our general wish for closeness will only become more intense after the pandemic.’