Sometimes in life fate steps in and we end up being alone.  Humans are social creatures and whether it's a divorce, separation or death, we end up living by ourselves and no longer being part of a couple.  For some, this is pretty devastating.  For others, the freedom and independence is exhilarating.  But either way, you need to find ways to find happiness and contentment.  Being depressed at the idea of living by yourself is not good, and you have to get proactive.  Here are some ideas on how to be happy, living on your own.

For most new singles, sorting out your sex life is the biggest concern.  There are however, many options available to take care of your physical needs.  Women can invest in a dildo or vibrator and call it 'Hank' or 'Billy Bob' to make it more personal.  Men can draw a face on their hand and call it 'Madame Palm and her five daughters' and then you'll feel you have a whole harem taking care of your needs.

For women, hiring a male gigolo is a really good solution, and for men, there are many women who are prepared to hire out their services so that you can get a quick fix.

You can use your home like a home base and just keep your things there and spend most of your time away socialising with other people.  Make sure that you befriend people with a spare bedroom.  Organise dinner dates, get friends to arrange blind dates, go on movie dates.  In fact, any kind of date that gets you out the house and around other people.  Socialising with others will increase your social circle and enable you to meet the next soul mate, if that is what you desire.

Of course, if you want people to invite you to their houses, then you do have to have a couple of soirees or barbies at your place.  Reciprocation is the key.  Sometimes, you do find leeches who come to your shindigs and never invite you to theirs.  In those cases, strike them off your little black book and insert super glue in the locks of their car doors.

Hobbies are a great way to keep your mind busy, as Aunty Agatha will tell you that an idle mind gathers cobwebs and bad thoughts.  Don't dwell on your loneliness.  You can't be happy if you feel lonely.  Some hobbies might even result in you meeting other people.

You can take your hobby one step further and join a club.  Hash House Harriers are in all the major cities and an excellent place to meet new people.  You will have to run, walk and consume vast amounts of beer and put a potty on your head, but it is fun.  seriously.

There are also other kinds of clubs you can join, either as a client or as an employee.

Being alone gives you the golden opportunity to relax and enjoy a good book, something you probably could never do with someone always chewing off your ear about something.  Write that book you always wanted to.  Or, join Hubpages.

 Many people throw themselves into their work when they suddenly find themselves alone, working well into the night to avoid going home to an empty house.  This makes your boss very happy and might ensure that you get a promotion or a raise in the future.  However, if you set a precedent, then when you are ready to start becoming a socialite again, your boss might deny you the time and fire you.

If you are too scared and afraid to meet real people, you can enter the virtual world and meet pseudo virtual people like us at Hubpages.  We might become your only contact with the outside world.

Chatrooms and Skype and other social media thingies like Twitter and Facebook are a great way to make virtual friends.  You can also join online dating sites and have virtual sex.

Playing sport is not only good for getting you out of the house, and away from the telly and the computer, but you also get to meet a whole new circle of friends who have the same interests as you.  Exercise is supposedly very beneficial for our health, and if you are single and no longer getting nightly workouts, then this is a way to blow off steam and get rid of your frustrations and pent up energy.  Regular exercise by playing a sport will ensure that you'll be happy living alone.  You can sit in your house all smelly and sweaty without someone nagging at you to have a shower.

Being a sizzling single means you can be a little wild with nobody to rope you in and tell you to behave yourself.  That is one of the biggest advantages of living alone and causes immeasurable feelings of contentment.  Being suddenly single, means that you have a wonderful opportunity to capture your lost youth.

You can keep your house the way you want to keep it.  Eat what you want to eat.  Watch what you want to watch.  Nobody looking over your shoulder to see what you're typing or who you're chatting to online. 

The only downside is that if you don't leave your house after a month you might risk becoming agoraphobic and never leave the house again.  Agoraphobia is quite serious and you'll experience acute anxiety and panic attacks.  People will stop inviting you to their house if this happens, and you'll never have free meals or booze again.  There are times when being a cave dweller and cutting yourself off from the rest of the world is tempting.