Long gone (thankfully) are the days when singledom equaled being the lonely spinster in the room, condemned to watching his or her coupled-up friends living amazing and fulfilling lives. Now, being single is a life choice that is being deliberately selected by a growing number of people; and being single is more fun and fabulous than it’s ever been before – and here are the reasons why:
1. Get Confident In Making Decisions
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If you’ve been part of a couple for a long time, then you may have gotten used to making joint decisions and compromising about things like the color of your new sofas or the destination of your next holiday; budgeting, and the daily running of the home would likely have been a two-way affair, too.
Finding yourself single again, while scary, can give you the opportunity to recreate your life to be exactly the way you’d like it to be and to gain confidence in making the decisions and choices that, until recently, you were able (and required to) talk through.
So, being single is awesome because you’re free to choose pink sofas if that’s what you want to do; you can visit wherever you fancy for your vacation, and if you want to keep your Lighthouse Family album on repeat for a full seven days straight, then there’s no one in the world that can stop you (apart from a nuisance control order from the council: watch the volume, friends).
Being required to make sound financial, career, and other important decisions solo can be nerve-wracking at first but will work wonders for your confidence.
2. Have Fun Dating
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Dating is also not what it used to be! There are now a plethora of dating sites and platforms, so whether you’re looking for a serious relationship or a little bit of flirty fun, you’ll find something to suit. Some dating apps are free of charge, whilst others are paid; many offer a free basic package but require payment to access the full range of features.
If you have kids, you may want to consider a dating site specifically geared towards singles with kids who want to connect, or if something casual’s what you’re after, try a site like https://www.top10.com/dating/reviews/benaughty.
This platform allows members to private message, instant chat, or even video chat with each other, and even lets you choose a virtual gift to present to someone who has particularly impressed you!
When dating, remember to make safety a priority: don’t give out personal information until you’ve met the person – possibly even a few times – and feel confident in doing so. Be mindful of fake profiles, too, and if anything seems off, whether while you’re chatting online or during an actual date, then bail out or get to safety.
3. Get To Know Yourself
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When we’re in a relationship, especially if it’s one that’s lasted a while, it’s natural for our personality to begin to merge with that of our partner. We may find that our likes and dislikes start to reflect theirs or that we’ve lost the spontaneity that used to define us.
When you’re single, you have an excellent opportunity to get to know yourself, all over again and dust off any interests or passions that may have been forgotten or put on the back burner for a while. Why not take up yoga again, or enroll in the second module of the art class you started a few years ago? Being single means having more time to yourself, so consider using this time to think about what’s important to you in life and how you can achieve this.
Use some alone time to reconnect with and nurture yourself. And enjoy the sounder sleep that having the bed to yourself can engender!
4. More Opportunity To Be Social
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Research has recently found that being single is linked to having a stronger connection with our circle of friends and showed that these connections tend to be much more long-lived as compared to those maintained by our married counterparts.
Being single means having total freedom to arrange our recreation time in exactly the way we wish to, and this can mean getting out and seeing our friends more and spending plenty of quality time with those close to us. The ability to be spontaneous that singledom offers helps this along, too; it’s much easier to say ‘yes’ to an unexpected offer to go see a film with a friend or enjoy a girls’ night out with pals when it’s only ourselves we need to consider when making arrangements.
5. Ditch The Razor (If You Want To)
I’m going to be honest; this one’s my personal favorite. Being single means there is absolutely no pressure to look your best (whatever that means) on a daily basis, and so, if you feel like it, take the opportunity to bin off shaving, and feel free to slouch around the house in your cat onesie on a Sunday if the mood takes you.
If you’ve just become single, then this could be a great time to think about your style and the extent to which it still reflects your personality; consider a new hair ‘do,’ switch up your cosmetics, or invest in a new capsule wardrobe. Concentrate on expressing your uniqueness.
6. Zero Dramas
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Being single rocks because your life is likely to become a drama-free zone! If you’ve been on an emotional roller-coaster in your relationship, or have been through the heartbreak of a few break-ups, then having some peaceful space to yourself, and getting back on an even keel, can be a wonderful thing.
Use your residency in singledom to bask in the lack of turmoil, bickering, and general emotional turbulence, and simply enjoy your own company and the ability to use your time as you wish.
7. Follow Your Own Path
When you’re single, you can both forge and follow your own path. You can define, for yourself, what success looks like and can follow this success anywhere in the world if you want to.
Whether you’re single short or long term, the status of singledom needs no longer be something that has been foisted upon you but can be something that you choose or embrace. And if you find yourself, now and again, feeling forlorn when you see all your loved-up buddies: remember how nice it is to be a starfish in your bed, the fun you’re having on the dating sites, and your full-to-the-brim social diary, and then allow yourself to feel a little smug instead.
