Relationships come and go. Learn how to be happy single and how you can benefit from it.
When you’re single, you may feel like everyone around you is in love with someone. People constantly share selfies with their partners on social media, and whenever you talk to someone, the first thing they tell you is something about their kids or how they spend time with their spouse.
It can be difficult for a single person to listen to these stories while realizing that you cannot relate. They’re living happy, fulfilling lives with their families while you’re unable to share your happiness or sadness with that one special person.
Some people are just tired of being single. Watching others hold their hands and giggle while whispering something silly to each other can turn into torture. Perhaps, the biggest challenge is Valentine's day when you're single.
At the same time, some people enjoy solitude but face social pressure from their friends and relatives who constantly persuade them to go on dates, making them feel like there’s something wrong with them. The truth is that there's nothing wrong with being single, and single life isn’t as bad as it seems. Moreover, it actually offers some benefits.
In this article, we will consider the main benefits of being single and share some tips that might help you take a look at your single life from a new perspective and feel better about being single.
Does Being Single Mean Being Lonely?
When you’re single, it can be easy to confuse the state of your personal life with loneliness. Yes, single people often live alone, but that doesn’t mean being lonely. Loneliness is a feeling. You may or may not feel lonely regardless of whether or not you’re in a romantic relationship with someone.
It’s possible to be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. In contrast, when you’re alone, you may enjoy solitude, not looking for any company. Besides, even when people are not in romantic relationships, they may still have many relationships with friends, colleagues, etc.
Therefore, it’s important to understand the difference between being lonely and being single. For instance, the COVID pandemic made many people in relationships feel lonely. They were staying at home with their loved ones all the time but they were unable to meet their friends so they felt lonely despite having romantic partners.
Is Being Single Normal?
If everyone around you keeps asking you about your relationships and wants to know why you’re alone, you may feel weird. Social pressure can make single people feel excluded, so it’s important to keep in mind that it’s completely normal to be single. Just think about it: everyone you know who’s in a relationship now also was single before they met their loved ones.
Moreover, there are more single people than you may think: according to Statista, almost 41% of women and 46% of men in the U.S. have never been married. It’s OK to be single, and if you’re not in a relationship right now, it doesn’t mean that you won’t meet that special person someday.
The stigma that surrounds single people is rooted in societal perception. Social media, TV shows, and even fairy tales that we used to read when we were children make a huge contribution to a negative perception of being single and make it easy to confuse relationships with happiness. Just keep in mind that if you’re feeling comfortable living alone without a partner, no one can tell you how you should live your life.
Benefits of Being Single
Setting priorities
When you’re single, you have a lot of time for self-reflection, and you can use this time to figure out what you really want. You can better understand yourself and think of what kind of relationship you want, who you would like to be with, and whether or not you need a relationship, in the first place.
Being single means that you don’t need to take into account another person’s desires when setting your priorities.
Improving your relationship with yourself
This might sound like a cliché, but being single enables you to improve your relationship with yourself. When you have a partner, they can be the one who reminds you of your worth and helps you overcome difficulties. When you’re single, you can become more self-sufficient and learn to deal with possible difficulties yourself.
You can also dedicate more time to self-care and improving your mental health. For instance, you can try online therapy. If you’ve experienced any difficulties with relationships because of your sexual orientation or struggle with self-acceptance, you can also try LGBT counseling online.
Improving your non-romantic relationships
People tend to prioritize their romantic relationships, and sometimes, this can negatively impact their friendships. When you’re single, you can spend more time with your friends and deepen your other, non-romantic relationships.
Putting more effort into personal growth
Relationships take a lot of time and effort. When you’re single, you can put more effort into personal and professional growth, being able to focus on your needs and goals.
Being single can also make you stronger and more resilient because you can accept the inevitable discomfort and difficulties that are an integral part of everyone’s lives.
How to Enjoy Being Single
To love someone else, you should first learn to love yourself, which also means that you should be comfortable with being single. Use this period in your life to improve your self-esteem, reflect on your past relationships, and think of what kind of relationship you would like to have in the future.
This is an opportunity to work on your past mistakes and set goals that reflect your true priorities and desires. Here are a few simple tips that might help you.
Find a new hobby
Have you ever wanted to learn a new language, play a musical instrument, or cook an amazing casserole? When you’re single, you have enough time to try something new.
Practice self-care
Eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and make sure to get enough sleep. You need to take care of your body to feel good both physically and mentally.
Make a list of the things you love about yourself
You don’t need someone else to remind you of your achievements and strengths. Make a list of the things that you love about yourself, and if you don’t know what to write, just ask your friends and relatives for help — they may have noticed some great things about you that may pleasantly surprise you.
Improve your mental health
For many people, being single means facing various challenges associated with self-esteem, self-confidence, etc. If you need emotional support, the best solution is to try therapy.
Thanks to online therapy platforms like Calmerry, you don’t even need to drive to a therapist’s office to talk about everything that bothers you. Learn more about talk therapy to get started.
Wrapping Up
Being single doesn’t mean being alone. There’s nothing wrong with being single. Moreover, when you’re not in a romantic relationship with someone, you can dedicate more time to self-care and personal growth.
Relationships are great, but nothing is better than being able to enjoy your own company and loving yourself for who you are.
