10 Ways to Survive Loneliness As a Single Mother.
There are nights you lie in bed, weeping silently. Trying too survive loneliness as a single mother. You muffle the sound because you’d rather scream, but there’s no space for that. And when your children ask innocent questions about Daddy, your heart aches—not because you don’t have answers, but because it reminds you just how lonely life can feel. You’ve learned to accept your reality, but that doesn’t make it easy. You’re still human with limited strength.
Does this feel familiar?
A major part of single motherhood is confronting loneliness—not once, but over and over again. So the question isn’t if loneliness comes, but how we survive it. How do we rise above it for the most part of our lives, as we raise our precious children with grace, strength, and hope?
1. Battle Loneliness By Starting Small
Begin with your mindset. Think about the things you desire—your hopes, your plans, the life you’re trying to build. Write them down. Let your heart have a direction.
Start with something as simple as waking up 30 minutes early to pray and meditate on God’s Word. This is a major weapon against thoughts that increase anxiety and hopelessness. There is hope and assurance in the Bible for every trouble you have.
You can also commit to tidying your space for just 10 minutes a day—just enough to stop clutter from taking over and adding to your stress.
I’ll be honest—keeping a tidy house has always been a challenge for me. I’m naturally carefree, but things would eventually spiral. My space would mirror how I felt inside: chaotic, disorganized, overwhelmed. Especially when I was going through rough emotional patches, the mess made it all feel worse. I’d look around and think, “My life really is a mess.”
Then I discovered Marie Kondo. I didn’t do anything drastic, but I started small—and I was pleasantly surprised by how it uplifted me. Organizing my space gave me clarity and motivation to do the next thing.
Life is made up of little things: how you eat, your routines, the spaces you live in, your thoughts, your habits. They shape your everyday. So if you can gain a little control over those things, you build the strength and structure to handle the big ones.
2. Thrive Despite the Loneliness of Single Parenting:Journal to Increase Self-Awareness
Journaling is more than writing—it’s a tool for self-discovery.
We all have patterns that repeat in our lives. Some uplift us, while others keep us stuck. Journaling helps you trace those patterns and begin to understand them.
There are thoughts, ideas, longings that feel jumbled in our heads—but when we write, something clicks. It’s like the fog clears and you see yourself more honestly.
For me, it became clear very quickly what my root issue was: I had been conditioned to be a people pleaser. I wanted to be liked, validated, desired. And while it’s human to long for connection, it becomes toxic when you start putting trust in people excepting love and care. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…this is the kind of love that we need filling the void in us. It is the only love that revives, uplifts, restores and gives everlasting salvation.
Journaling helped me face that truth without judgment. And that self-awareness has been key in navigating to survive moments of loneliness as a single mother.
3. Cling to God. Pray Persistently. Find Spiritual Community.
I’m not perfect. I’ve chased after the highs this world offers—trying to fill that gaping hole, searching for wholeness. But I kept ending up in situations that stripped away my dignity and peace.
At some point, I had to admit: I was searching in the wrong places.
Sometimes, we long for things that drain us.
We’ve been taught that life is just about endurance, and that we should have an infinite source of strength within ourselves.But what happens when that strength runs out? What happens when you’re emotionally depleted, curled up in a dark corner, desperate to be seen and held?
For me, scripture became my lifeline. It gave me hope and strength when nothing else did. Studying God’s word was not a routine—it became necessity for me to thrive as a single mother. It reminded me that I am seen. I am loved. That I was crafted with intention even before I existed.
This spiritual anchor has kept me grounded when I had nothing else to hold onto.
4. Create Beauty and belonging while Raising Children on Your Own.
Your environment matters. Curate your space so that it feels alive, nurturing, and uniquely yours.
Add color. Hang art. Incorporate textures, fabrics, vintage items—whatever makes your soul smile. Let your space reflect your tastes, your spirit, your story.
I love minimalist spaces, but I also collect vintage pieces. There’s something about beauty that speaks to the soul—it uplifts, it inspires, it reminds us that life still holds wonder.
If we travel to see beautiful places and preserve antique architecture because it moves us, then why not bring that beauty into our homes? Let your space be a place of rest, healing, and inspiration.
5. Be Intentional About Your Connections
Not everyone who smiles at you will nourish you. And not every conversation is good for your soul.
Ask yourself: Do these people uplift me or drain me? Do they align with my values or tolerate me out of convenience? Am I being seen—or merely endured? We are also called to serve others. So we are also responsible for treating people especially the needy and poor with kindness to preserve their dignity.
When you find people with shared values and mutual respect, build with them. Pour into those relationships. And if you can, support those that have no one.
The wrong connections can make it difficult to survive loneliness as a single mother. But the right ones? They’ll remind you that you’re not alone after all.
6. Self-Isolating can making surviving loneliness difficult.
The temptation to retreat is strong—especially when you’re feeling ashamed, anxious, or overwhelmed. But isolation can be dangerous when it becomes your default.
Alone time is good in moderation, especially if you need to recharge. But ask yourself: Why am I isolating? If the answer is fear, then it’s likely not serving you.
Run to God. He binds the broken hearted. Meditate on scripture. Push yourself gently. Reach out to someone you trust. Cry and call on the name of Jesus Christ for He cares for you.
Small acts of surrender to God can interrupt spirals of loneliness.
7. Navigate the Solitude of Single Motherhood by Investing in Yourself
As a single parent, you already carry more than most. So your time, energy, and habits matter even more.
Read and meditate on God’s word daily, it rewires your soul to be hopeful and it gives rest. Build skills that protect your future. Seek knowledge, wisdom, and healing. Cut down on drama, distractions, doom-scrolling.
It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being intentional.
Shift your mindset from helplessness to purpose. Don’t deny your feelings—but don’t let them define you, either.
Investing in yourself is an act of hope.
8. Keep Showing Up for Your Kids—Even on Empty
When loneliness hits, you might feel emotionally unavailable to your children. That can bring guilt. But don’t let that guilt swallow you.
Start with the basics: Are they fed? Are they safe? Clothed? Going to school? That’s already a victory.
Then do what you can to prepare for their future—one step at a time. Save a little. Budget wisely. Thrift. Reduce takeout. Invite godly mentors into their lives. Give them access to wonder, imagination, and safety.
When you see them thriving—even in small ways—it will remind you that your sacrifices are not in vain.
9. Have a Creative Outlet
Your emotions need a place to go. A creative project can be that place.
It could be music, writing, photography, cooking, gardening—whatever speaks to you. Channel your pain, longing, joy, and hope into something that uplifts others. Something that honors God.
It’s like journaling, but externalized. A melody, a painting, a recipe—it holds pieces of your heart, and shares it with the world.
Start small. Don’t worry about perfection. Just create.
10. Practice Gratitude and Self-Compassion
Celebrate your progress, no matter how small. If you woke up and made breakfast—celebrate that. If you journaled, tidied up, or said a prayer—acknowledge it.
You won’t always have cheerleaders. So learn to be your own.
Then practice compassion. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. You’re not in a race. You’re in a transformation.
If you’re a little stronger today than yesterday, that’s enough. That deserves celebration.
Final Word: Reclaim your Power in the Face of Loneliness by Holding on to Hope
Everything comes back to hope. Hope keeps your head up when loneliness tries to bow it down. Hope lets you feel the weight—but still rise up.
You’re allowed to cry. Allowed to break. But you will rise again—because hope makes that possible.
As scripture says:
“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”
Let that standard rise within you.
You are not alone.
And your story is still unfolding.
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