Eating Alone Doesn't Have to Feel Lonely: A Different Way to Think About Solitude
- Parita Sharma
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Eating Alone Doesn't Have to Feel Lonely
There was a time when I couldn't imagine enjoying a meal alone.
Like many people, I had absorbed the idea that a dining table is meant to be shared. Family conversations, friends dropping by, someone asking for another roti, laughter filling the room—these are memories many Indians grow up with. Food is rarely just food; it is belonging.
So when life changed and I found myself eating alone, it didn't feel peaceful. It felt empty.
Popular films, especially many of Imtiaz Ali's stories, have beautifully portrayed that quiet sadness. An empty chair across the table often becomes a symbol of longing, heartbreak, or waiting for someone who isn't there.
Many of us have lived that scene.
Why Eating Alone Feels So Difficult
For Indians and South Asians living abroad, this feeling can become even stronger.
Moving to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or the Middle East often means leaving behind familiar routines. Suddenly, birthdays are celebrated over video calls. Festivals are quieter. The kitchen doesn't smell like your mother's cooking. Dinner becomes something you quickly finish between work and household responsibilities.
The loneliness isn't always because you're physically alone.
Sometimes it's because you're grieving a life that once felt familiar.
The Shift That Changed Everything
Over time, I realised something important.
There is a difference between loneliness and solitude.
Loneliness is the pain of feeling disconnected, even when you are surrounded by people.
Solitude is the choice to spend time with yourself without abandoning yourself.
The meal on my plate hadn't changed.
What changed was my relationship with the person sitting in the chair.
Instead of rushing through dinner, I began cooking meals I genuinely enjoyed. I started lighting a candle occasionally, playing music I loved, and allowing myself to experience the moment without believing that being alone meant something was wrong.
That wasn't giving up on relationships.
It was building one with myself.
Self-Care Doesn't Have to Be Grand
We often imagine self-care as expensive vacations, luxury spa days, or elaborate morning routines.
In reality, self-care is often much quieter.
It can be cooking your favourite meal after a difficult day.
It can be eating slowly instead of standing in the kitchen.
It can be making your own company feel safe.
These small moments teach your nervous system that peace doesn't always have to come from someone else's presence.
Sometimes it begins with your own.
If You're Living Away From Home
If you're an Indian or South Asian living abroad and today feels lonely, know that your feelings make sense.
Missing home doesn't mean you're weak.
Missing people doesn't mean you've failed to build a new life.
But while you cannot always control who sits at your table, you can choose how you treat yourself when you're there.
That choice can slowly transform loneliness into solitude.
And sometimes, that is where healing begins.
Looking for Support?
If loneliness, homesickness, relationship struggles, or emotional overwhelm have started affecting your daily life, you don't have to navigate it alone.
At SEVEE CARE, we provide online counselling for Indians and South Asians across the world, offering culturally informed support that understands both where you come from and where you are today.
Book an online session at SEVEE.CARE or connect with us on
WhatsApp at +91 97127 77330. for in-person counselling appointments in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Sometimes healing starts with a conversation. Sometimes it starts with dinner for one. Both are valid.
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