The response below is in categories but they are all interrelated like everything else. I know this is an old thread, but posting anyway.
PHYSICAL SAFETY: Working smarter not harder
In my opinion, the hardest part about homesteading alone is not having extra pairs of hands. It doesn't mean you CAN'T do a thing, it means that you have to do a thing with what you have to work with including your own physical abilities. It means building with willow branches instead of stones, either physically or metaphorically. Could I build a 7 foot tall hügelkultur mound by myself? Not quickly, and not without help. So that is off the list and I don't get that badge. However, I can put smaller chunks of wood at the bottom of raised garden beds or around the edges of a swale...which at this point I am not sure are necessary given the climate I live in and the scale of my garden. I can re-engineer "permaculture things" so that a single person who can't lift even 50lb bags can accomplish them. You learn to work smarter not harder.
As for getting help: not everyone on this planet is an extreme extrovert and wants to be in community all the time. There are reasons some people live "out in the woods" by themselves. Not all of them have to do with making explosives. Stoic skepticism, burnout, lack of affordable housing, renunciation, hyper sensitivity to external stimuli, or the need to understand life at the bottom tier of Maslow's hierarchy. (Class and privilege is implied in that last statement. Some don't have a choice.)
I have neighbors within yelling distance, which means I am not really alone, but I am left alone. There are places that are rural-ish - private enough for you to do what you want without CC&Rs or HOAs but close enough to others that if your house was on fire, the neighbors you didn't know you had literally come out of the woodwork to help you. Joyce, Washington is one such place.
PERSONAL SAFETY: Criminal minds want to know
My mother recently told an old family friend that I live in a rural area and they asked if I have a gun. These are city people, who regularly get broken into at shopping mall parking structures. I am being sarcastic, but the truth is that rural areas are far safer in general than cities. However, like any place you choose to live, you have to be aware of your surroundings. Who populates the place you want to live? Know your neighbors. Make sure your neighbors know something about you. Preppers talk about this concept all the time.
That also goes for being aware of who is around you when you are talking about your life. I have safety measures (and red herrings) in place or I wouldn't share any of this on a public forum. Am I 100% safe? No. No one is. And if someone really wanted to they could cause me trouble, but that's a lot of effort for very little return.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY: More than tomato cages
If you are afraid of being alone, then perhaps consider why. Maybe this isn't the right direction for you.
When you make the choice of living alone in a rural area and doing some "uncivilized" things, you will find out which of your friends and family get it and which don't. The difference in values will show up in sharp contrast. Some of your friends will think it is disgusting that you sh*t in a bucket while they use fresh drinking water to flush their four toilets, drive an hour and a half to get "organic" papaya, and shop slavery-made fast fashion to relieve their boredom. Their eyes will glaze over if you talk about any of your projects in detail, and they will redirect the conversation back to something they like better like choosing a name for their new labradoodle, Stuyvesant maybe.
The family and friends who get it will support you, ask you clarifying questions, and will be genuinely happy for you even if they themselves don't want your lifestyle. Those people are your REAL support network regardless of how far out of town you choose to live. Just make sure you check in and share with them regularly. Be alone as much as you like, just don't completely disappear.
Sometimes supportive people will be concerned. The most respectful ones will start their questions with "Have you thought about...?" or "What do you think about..." If the questions make you doubt your direction, GOOD! Now you have more questions to answer to give yourself clarity about what you want.
RISK MITIGATION: Temporary ordination
I lived in a van and drove around the US and Canada while working a remote job. Yes, as an older female solo traveler. It says a lot about even Western culture that a woman traveling alone still makes people shocked that she doesn't have a chaperone. Just saying. I actually did it twice in my life. It gave me perspective, skill and confidence that I wouldn't have if I hadn't said "*uck it, I'm doing this." However, I was carrying around privilege with me. If things didn't work out, I could go back to the World State and take some soma.* Now, not so much.
Maybe you can try it out for a little while without making a huge commitment? What ways could you provide the experience for yourself so you have an exit if it doesn't work out?
Okay I have to stop now. It is a town day. Fried chicken is on sale at the deli at the grocery store.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World
