11 Big Benefits Of Being A Homebody That Will Make You Want To Cancel All Your Plans
Being a homebody doesn't have to be boring.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock Some people prefer to spend their time out and about, being the life of the party. For others, there’s no place they’d rather be than at home. Our society glorifies a lifestyle that involves being out of the house and constantly on the go. But, there are serious benefits to being a homebody that nobody seems to consider except for homebodies themselves.
Bella DePaulo, PhD, defended homebodies and argued that being alone does not necessarily equate to being lonely. “That doesn’t rule out socializing; most of us also enjoy the time we spend with our friends and the other people we care about,” she said. “But there can be something truly wonderful about just staying home.” There are many surprising benefits to being a homebody that many people overlook. But if you consider them, you might want to cancel all of your plans and stay home on the couch.
Here are 11 big benefits of being a homebody that will make you want to cancel all your plans:
1. You don't have to socialize
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Perhaps the most obvious benefit of being a homebody is that you don’t have to socialize with other people. Everyone has different feelings about this, but for many, not being around people can feel like a gift. If you have an in-office job or participate in other activities outside of the house, you’re spending plenty of time around others, and there’s a chance you might not want to be with people any more than you already are.
We’re often told that socializing is beneficial for us, so not doing so may seem counterintuitive to our emotional health and well-being. However, research shows there are benefits to spending time in solitude. A 2017 study published in Personality and Individual Differences noted that spending time by yourself can lead to increased creativity “because anxiety-free time spent in solitude may allow for and foster creative thinking and work.”
Choosing to take some time away from socializing isn’t all that bad. There are benefits to doing so, like increased creativity. Everyone needs to spend some time by themselves to recharge. Even if you generally like being around people and socializing, doing so constantly isn’t sustainable. You need to make time to simply be with yourself. Being a homebody allows you to do that.
2. You have time for your hobbies
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In the fast-paced world we live in, it’s easy to feel like you don’t have time to keep up with your hobbies. Instead, you’re constantly doing what needs to be done rather than what you want to do. Staying close to home gives you the chance to work on hobbies you love, whether it’s something entertaining like reading or binge-watching, or something that involves creating.
Having hobbies and the proper time to devote to them is crucial. Harvard Health Letter’s Heidi Godman cited a study from Nature Medicine. She said, “Compared with people who didn’t have hobbies, those who did reported better health, more happiness, fewer symptoms of depression, and higher life satisfaction.”
Hobbies are essential to our mental and physical well-being, but they’re pointless if we don’t have any time to devote to them. Being a homebody gives you the perfect chance to work on and spend time on your hobbies. You’ll even be freer to develop and take on new ones.
3. You can wear whatever you want
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Technically speaking, you can wear whatever you want whenever you want, as long as it fits any necessary dress codes. But when you’re in a social situation, there may be certain expectations. For example, if you’re going to a party with friends or to a nice restaurant, you’re expected to dress a certain way. Homebodies avoid this altogether and can stay in their pajamas all the time if they’d like to.
Doing your makeup, hair, and picking out a nice outfit can not only be time-consuming but also energy-draining. However, it’s understandable that you would want to follow social etiquette and wear whatever is expected of you and present yourself in a certain way. But that can be exhausting. It’s much easier to stay at home and wear whatever you feel most comfortable in, whether it’s sweatpants, pajamas, or something else.
4. You save money
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People who are accustomed to going out may not give much thought to the money they’re spending while doing so. However, homebodies know that staying at home is often more cost-effective. While life is never exactly free, it costs significantly less to cook up a meal from the existing groceries you have at your house than it is to go out and pay for a meal at a restaurant. Watching a movie on your favorite streaming service is more cost-effective than going to see a new flick at the theater as well.
Considering the cost of eating out alone, expenses can quickly add up. According to Ramsey Solutions, a single person spends roughly $222 each month on eating out, which adds up to $2,664 a year. The cost only compounds when you add more people, such as when someone is in a relationship or has children.
To some, that $2,664 may not seem like a lot. However, in the current economy, every dollar counts. Saving that amount of money each year, or even just a fraction of it, could make a huge financial difference. Being a homebody doesn’t mean you never eat out, but it does mean it happens a lot less often. You can save a nice chunk of change that way.
5. You can conserve energy for the things you enjoy doing
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Going out doesn’t just take up time and money. It also costs you precious energy. Staying at home expends much less energy than going out. There’s nothing to get ready for. There’s no one to socialize with. There’s no noise and crowd to contend with. It means that you won’t be overstimulated and drained by both what you’re doing and what’s going on around you.
Jordana Harshman, a wellness coach at Stanford Children’s Health, pointed out that there are different “energetic domains,” as Tony Schwartz explained in his book ‘The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working.’ This means that energy is divided into various areas of life, such as work, family, friends, creativity, and enjoyment. If one area feels like it is taking up all of your energy while others aren’t receiving enough, that may mean it's time to redistribute your energy.
If you’re spending all of your energy on going out, then you won’t have any left over for other necessary areas of your life. It also takes much more energy to go out than it does to stay in. There are so many more factors to consider when going out that don’t apply to homebodies. If you stay at home, you’ll find yourself recharging much more easily.
6. You don't have to follow others' plans
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One of the disadvantages of going out with friends is that the plans aren’t always yours. More often than not, you’re not going with the flow and doing whatever it is that you want to do. Instead, you’re just going along with someone else’s plans. They may be enjoyable for you, or they may not.
If you hang out at home, the only one who gets to decide what you do is you. There are no friends or acquaintances with pesky plans you feel obligated to participate in. If you want a quieter environment, you can create one. If you want some background noise, you can easily accommodate that too. You get to choose absolutely everything, and you aren’t beholden to what someone else wants to do.
7. It's safer
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One thing people often overlook when considering the pros and cons of going out versus staying in is which option is safer. In all fairness, bad things can happen anywhere, but there is a greater chance of them happening away from home when you’re around strangers. Just the simple act of taking a rideshare can present risks that wouldn’t be present if you just stayed home.
Aside from the obvious crimes that can occur, being around a large group of people can be inherently dangerous. State Farm noted that while “there may be safety in numbers,” there are still plenty of “risks” that come with going out with a lot of other people. They recommended that you “help protect yourself and your family from a crowd crush, injury, illness, pickpockets, and possible anxiety in large crowds.”
While staying at home is certainly not a guarantee that nothing bad will happen, it does provide a sense of security that you may not have out in a crowd. Your home is your domain, and it’s where one naturally feels the safest. Homebodies don’t find themselves in any danger of a crowd crush and can feel safe inside their sanctuary.
8. You can relax
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It’s fun to go out now and then, but it can be draining. Homebodies naturally have more time to relax. If all of your time isn’t spent on socializing and being around other people, in addition to getting ready for such outings, you can actually take some quality time to relax, which is essential.
Wellness coach Jordana Harshman explained, “Living in a state of relaxation deprivation is not a long-term strategy. It isn’t motivating. Accepting that realization will provide you with more energy to meet life demands and can help buffer the idea that you should be doing more. Relaxation truly fuels us to be our best selves.”
You have to take time to relax, or you’ll find yourself burnt out and drained. Staying home is a great way to ensure you relax and unwind. If you’re constantly going and doing things, you don’t have a chance to rest. As a result, being a homebody can be highly beneficial.
9. You can be productive
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Life certainly shouldn’t revolve around productivity, but it is essential to accomplish necessary tasks. It’s a lot easier to be productive when you’re at home than it is when you’re out with some friends. You can catch up on chores and other household tasks you’ve been putting off. Depending on your circumstances, you may also be able to catch up on work.
According to Psychology Today, “An individual’s productivity hinges on mental energy and a sense of internal and external motivation.” In other words, you must have ample mental energy to be productive. It’s easier to call on mental energy when you’ve just been spending time at home than when you’ve been out. They added that every task we do doesn’t have to be considered productive or work towards some goal, but it’s helpful to us when they are.
Being productive isn’t the ultimate goal of everything, but it does serve as a way to encourage us and help us find purpose. Homebodies can be productive much more easily because they’re spending their time at home instead of going out. And, you can certainly still have fun from home while being productive, just like you would if you went out.
10. You can maintain your healthy habits
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There are multiple ways that staying at home can be healthier than going out. For starters, there’s a chance that you may be less likely to eat unhealthy food. Some people will certainly give in to the temptation to eat junk food while binge-watching their favorite show at home, but by not eating out, you may have a predisposition to eat a bit cleaner. You’ll also probably drink less.
In addition to these benefits, going out can also pose more of a health risk, as it is easier to get sick when you’re out and in a crowd. If you live with other people, one of them could easily bring home a nasty virus. But you’re even more likely to get sick when you’re in contact with a large group of people.
Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert at the Mayo Clinic, said it’s important to remember that big crowds present an “increased risk.” Additionally, different people have varying health and cleanliness standards, which can also pose a risk. Just because you’re taking certain precautions doesn’t mean that other people are too, and you can’t depend on that. You never know what you could catch when you’re in a crowd.
11. You’re protecting your mental health
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Perhaps one of the most significant benefits to being a homebody is that it allows you to protect your mental health in a way that going out does not. Staying home gives you time to engage in self-care activities. It also keeps you away from the anxiety that can come with being out around people, especially people you don’t know well.
Feeling anxious around others or in social situations can be an indicator of social anxiety disorder. The Cleveland Clinic characterizes this as “a medical condition that causes fear and anxiety when you’re around people in social situations. People with social anxiety fear being judged or watched by others.”
If you have social anxiety disorder or something similar, it’s important to give yourself the space you need to be alone. While conquering social anxiety is beneficial, it’s also essential to treat yourself with the kindness and grace you deserve, and not push yourself into situations that feel uncomfortable.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
