Alone in the Noise: Creating My Own Space in a Busy Household

Tips from an introverted hermit for regaining your sense of peace

Upper photo by Victor Ene on Unsplash, lower photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash; photos combined by the Author

I’ve read that it’s crucial to have a room of your own, a space you can control and retreat to. But what if that’s not an option? And what if, paradoxically, you want to be left alone, without being entirely alone?

My husband and I share a home with 5 other adults. Our household spans three generations, and are often visited by the fourth.

It’s loud, happy, tense, joyful, and bustling here! Sometimes all at once. With piano playing, whistling, and the occasional toilet humour.

It’s a precious stage of life that I’m sure I’ll miss when it’s just us again. Yes, I really will miss it, even though I value quiet and privacy — and staying home — more than the average person seems to.

The stained, ancient carpet is being ripped out of our bedroom as I’m writing this, and most other spaces are peopled. There’s noise, corridors piled with underlay and sharp bits sticking out of splintere…