Best Book Therapist
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Jane Mathews doesn’t just write about living alone, she teaches you how to make it an art. She captures that quiet, sometimes aching space between solitude and loneliness, then fills it with color, humor, and unapologetic self-love. This isn’t a self-pity guide for single people, it’s a manifesto for independence, dignity, and joy.
What I loved most is how honest it is. Mathews doesn’t romanticize solo living. She admits the silence can sting, the empty bed can feel heavier, and the weekends can stretch endlessly. But then, she shows you how to turn that emptiness into freedom—how to build a life that isn’t waiting for someone else to complete it.
She talks about creating rituals for yourself, beautiful little things that make you feel alive. A morning walk with good music. A dinner table set just for one. Traveling alone, not as an act of defiance, but of discovery. The book teaches that being alone is not a failure of love, it’s an opportunity to find it in unexpected places, especially within yourself.
There’s a certain warmth in Mathews’ voice, even when she’s poking fun at herself. You can tell she’s lived what she’s writing about. And maybe that’s what makes it worth every cent because it’s not theory; it’s truth earned through experience.
Key Lessons:
1. Living alone is not being lonely, it’s learning to be at home with yourself.
Solitude is not an absence of people; it’s the presence of peace. When you stop fearing your own company, you start enjoying it.
2. Make rituals that honor you.
Whether it’s lighting a candle before bed or cooking a meal for one, these small acts affirm that you’re worthy of care, attention, and beauty.
3. Your home should reflect who you are.
Mathews encourages readers to create spaces that nurture their spirit, spaces filled with meaning, not clutter or emptiness.
4. Don’t wait for “someone else” to do things.
Go out, see movies, travel, dine out. Life doesn’t pause just because you’re alone, it becomes richer when you stop postponing joy.
5. Money and independence are part of emotional freedom.
Financial stability isn’t just about security; it’s about having choices. Being self-reliant empowers your sense of worth.
6. Connection still matters.
Living alone doesn’t mean isolating yourself. Friendship, community, and kindness are essential, even when your home is a one-person household.
7. Learn to laugh at your own life.
Mathews reminds us not to take it all too seriously. Sometimes you burn the dinner or talk to your plants and that’s okay. It’s part of the joy.
The Art of Living Alone & Loving It is a comforting, witty, and deeply affirming guide for anyone walking through life solo by choice or circumstance. Jane Mathews turns solitude into strength and self-acceptance into style.
It’s not just a book about being alone, it’s a reminder that you are already whole, already enough, and that a full life can bloom beautifully, even with just one chair at the table.
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Jane MathewsJane Mathews
The Art of Living Alone and Loving It: Your inspirational toolkit for a whole and happy life Kindle Edition
by Jane Mathews (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (108)
An inspirational toolkit for solo living - full of sound, practical advice, warmth and humour.
Whether you view living alone as the ultimate compromise or the ultimate luxury, it presents daily challenges, such as cooking for one, organising holidays, juggling finances, and avoiding the siren call of wine, Ugg boots and Netflix. And there are the less tangible tests, like nailing the octopus of loneliness to the wall, and holding your head high in a society where solo living is viewed (consciously or not) as the runner-up prize.
Author Jane Mathews believes that to be truly content living alone, it pays to examine every aspect of your life-relationships, health, home, finances, interests and spirituality-and then take action. No matter what your unique situation, there's something here for you. Jane provides the map and you choose the route to a more joyful, contented life.
Review
'Jane's expert guidance will empower anyone who lives solo. She delivers a compelling narrative and a positive, inspiring guide to living life to the full.' -Deborah Hutton, founder of Balance by Deborah Hutton
About the Author
Jane Mathews is by day a marketing expert helping companies understand what makes people tick. By night she enjoys her own company and is currently perfecting soup dumplings. She lives in Sydney with her dog Rory.
