Single and Fabulous: 11 Surprising Benefits of Being Single
Singledom doesn’t get celebrated enough, even though there are a ton of benefits of being single.
We all feel the pressure to couple up. From a young age, culture surrounds us with notions of soulmates, living happily ever after, and finding that one special person - and the threat that if we don’t we’ll be (god forbid) incomplete.
People in relationships get all kinds of social celebrations, gifts, and parties. But, to quote Sex and the City, where’s my cake for not marrying the wrong guy? It’s time single life gets its celebration.
There are loads of reasons why being single is good for you - for your health, personal goals, finances, and overall wellbeing. In fact, behavioral scientist Paul Dolan argued that single, childless women could be the happiest demographic.
How to be okay with being single? Commit this list to memory. You never need to be envious of your coupled-up friends again.
Single and Happy: 11 reasons why being single is underrated
Friendship
We all have a friend who disappeared into a relationship and came out the other side wondering where their friends went.
Single people generally have more time and energy to invest in other relationships - ones that last for life and are essential to overall happiness, like friendships. How to be single and happy? It’s easy. Devote time to your friends!
Health and fitness
It’s easy to let your health slump in a long-term relationship.
Single people tend to eat better and exercise more. A study in the Journal of Women’s Health found that single women had lower BMIs and lower risks associated with alcohol and smoking than married women.
How to be single and happy? Focus on feeling good, inside and out.
New experience
This seems like an obvious one, but it has a bigger impact than most of us realize. Singles are far more likely to experience new things and have spontaneous adventures.
When you’re not in the safe, comfort of a relationship, you say yes to more things that make a fun and fulfilling life, like meeting new people, traveling, moving abroad, taking up new hobbies, and going to events.
Sex!
More sex, but also more sexual variation, experimentation, and the freedom to have sex with new people and go to sex parties - whenever you want.
On top of this, single people generally have more sex than married people. Though, of course, this can vary a lot depending on the couple and how sexually active this singleton chooses to be.
How to be okay with being single? If you want to have a lot of sex, do it! Embrace sex positivity and get out there, via your favorite dating app or IRL.
The value of being alone
Independence is an underrated quality and one that many people lose in long-term relationships.
People who are co-dependent find it hard to be alone and end up staying in unhealthy relationships or jumping from one relationship to the next, never learning the strength and value of being able to stand on their own two feet.
Self-knowledge and self-love
As well as inner strength in being alone, single life enables you to learn about yourself. It’s fascinating to discover your personal likes, dislikes, and habits when your time isn’t taken up by someone else.
What do you like to eat? Read? Watch? Who do you enjoy spending time with? How do you like to spend an evening alone? Being single teaches you all this and more.
Money management
In many relationships, one person ends up managing the money. Traditionally, men tend to take on this role.
A major benefit of being single is being completely financially self-reliant and in control. You don’t rely on anyone to budget, make money, or know how to invest it. You do it all yourself and gain valuable skills in the process.
Mental space and fewer worries
Too many relationships are full of stress and conflict. Your mind can be filled with questions like where is this going and what are they thinking… As well as unresolved issues and unsaid things.
Being single means having a lot more mental space and less worry about your relationship and your partner.
Personal goals
Not having to compromise with how you spend your time or have to think about someone else or be busy with a partner is inconceivably valuable to your goals.
A major benefit to being single - and childless - is having time and space to work on your personal projects, ideas, career, or your online panty business.
How to be okay with being single? Use your time to think about what makes you happy and shape your life in that direction.
Freedom!
This is another benefit of being single that seems obvious but has huge, often overlooked benefits.
There’s nothing quite like the freedom to be able to do what you want when you want. When you’re single you can wake up when you feel like it, go out with friends all day, go on holiday alone, spend a day watching Netflix or walking around the city - and you don’t have to tell anyone.
How to be single and happy? Never forget how blissful it is to have total control over your life.
As we all know by now, there are a lot of benefits to being single.
If you’re sick of single life and want a great relationship, remember that if you’re single for longer, there’s a higher chance of your next relationship being a healthy and happy one because you’ve spent time getting to know yourself and what you really want.
If you find yourself feeling down about your single life, come back to this list, take yourself out for a drink, and see where your night of freedom takes you.
