Being single is normal — now more than ever. That’s because across the U.S. there are more single people than those in a relationship. But it’s not just about the numbers. Being single also has many benefits.
Here are five very good reasons that staying out of long-term romantic relationships can be positive, productive and healthy for you:
The Worth of Your Time
Life is busy. Very busy. With work, friends and family commitments, volunteering and cultivating your interests, there isn’t much time left over.
The minutes that remain should be spent on worthy and valuable activities as well as solo time. Singles have the luxury of alone time, to recharge their batteries and gain focus. A sociologist at New York University, Eric Klinenberg says solitude is essential for creativity.
When in a couple, heaps of time and emotional energy are expended. You must be a willing participant in a partnership — after all, it takes two! If you are not emotional available, it is only fair to not waste your or others’ with your humming and hawing.
Self-Confidence is Cultivated Alone
No one else can make you love yourself, believe in yourself or accept yourself.
That’s an inside job.
You have to take and make the time and space to accept yourself. With time alone, you gift yourself with the opportunity to take care of yourself. You can do this with simple tasks like trying a new hobby or cooking for yourself or doing some solo traveling.
You won’t ever know what you, just you alone, can do until you try. By being single, you learn all that you are capable of.
You will feel empowered and competent.
It’s not time for Compromise
You have to compromise when in a relationship.
These concessions can be big or small, significant or insignificant. The point is negotiation is an inevitable part of any long-term relationship.
If you aren’t ready or willing to compromise on aspects of your life, then remaining single will allow you to pursue your sole dreams and goals.
This doesn’t mean you’re selfish. It simply means that you understand and are aware of your current needs. And you know for now that you want to focus on those exclusively.
Being in a relationship doesn’t guarantee you’ll be happy
Finding happiness is not about finding love. A partner can’t and won’t make you feel fulfilled or an enthusiasm for life. And quite frankly, it isn’t their role to do that. Your happiness is your business.
In addition to that, relationships can also a source of conflict. A study out of the University of Auckland, showed that if a person likes to avoid conflict, then remaining single allows them to accomplish this and be happy.
And always remember that being in an unhealthy relationship is worse than being alone. A 2014 study showed that couples that experience continual turmoil in their marriages aren’t able to appreciate positive life moments.
Time to Cultivate Friendships
Whether intentionally or not, many couples, retreat away from public gatherings and friend groups. This inadvertently disconnects the couple from their social and support networks.
As many singles know, romantic relationships aren’t the only relationships to be had. Creating and maintaining friendships are worthwhile for your happiness and health.
The Mayo Clinic identifies that friendships boost your sense of belonging, they can reduce your stress, provide emotional support when you’re dealing with traumas, and/or encourage you to alter any unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Being single permits you to spend time with friends that you value and enjoy their company. This will allow you to give and receive the advantages that friendship has to offer.
If you’re beating yourself up about being single, or punishing yourself for thinking you should get out of a bad relationship and rejoin singlehood — don’t! Singles are the majority now! This is a big change. Back in the 1950s, just 22% of the adult population was single. Currently there are about 124 million U.S. adults who are single. That’s a whopping 50%.
So ignore stress from your family to get hitched or the implied pressure from your married friends to shack up.
You can plot your own course, set your own routine and you can be successful and happy doing it.
