3 major benefits of being single
You might be reading this as a single person and wondering “how can there be benefits to being single when I’m surrounded by loved-up couples?”, or you might be happily living the single life without a care in the world – either way, there’s no better time than Spring to be reminded of just how great being single really is!
While plenty of people perceive single folks as being unhappy because they haven’t found a partner to live life with, it turns out that single people can live happier lives than their married counterparts. All we see in the media is an obsession with couples, while the newest Netflix movies always seem to be remade rom-coms from the 90s [like the remake to She’s All That].
It’s not hard to see why singles are bombarded with this fantasy of being ‘complete’ when they find their soulmate, but the truth is that people don’t always find happiness when they decide to shack up for the sake of being in a relationship.
There are so many benefits to living your life as a single person, sometimes you need a reminder that you’re living the good life:
You can live life on your terms
The great thing about singledom is having no attachments to any person or place – you can literally do whatever you want without having to think of how it will impact someone else’s whole entire life. The autonomy to live as you please and make decisions for yourself is something that singles have been revered for by married couples – they’re totally in control of their destiny.
Singles can pick up their life and move overseas, start somewhere new or get that new job without having to talk it over with someone else. When you feel like life isn’t in your hands and you can’t control your path, your self confidence and self esteem take a hit; couples have disagreements about even small things that impact their individual life, while singles can do as they please.
Having a healthy relationship means compromising and sacrificing, but still having autonomy and freedoms – for singles, they don’t need to worry about giving up anything. When life throws an opportunity your way, singles can take it and run while couples need to look at how their life will change as a family.
You don’t lose yourself
People can often lose their own identity when in a relationship – they start acting, talking, walking and dressing like their significant other and lose themselves in the process. This isn’t on purpose, it often happens when we spend a lot of time with someone that we start to mimic their behaviours and eventually their way of thinking.
You might know that couple that can’t go anywhere without each other, it seems like they even go to the bloody bathroom together! For singles, it’s easier to rock up to that dinner or party solo and rock the house down; there’s no one to tell you to stop having a good time even if you’re embarrassing yourself with those bad dance moves.
Being single means you can let your hair down! Singles are more confident than their coupled-up friends because they know their self-worth; a lot of time alone means inward reflection and ability to rely on yourself for a confidence boost, rather than relying on a partner to uplift you.
Plus, your creative thinking isn’t compromised – couples can find that their creativity is lacking when they’re in a relationship because their mind is often occupied with other things that couples need to do, which leads to the next benefit.
Your brain is less foggy
When you’re single, you only need to worry about your own calendar and to-do list. You know where everything belongs in your house, you know when the washing needs to be done, when you need to do the groceries, and what your calendar looks like next week. When you bring another person into the equation, everything you need to memorise doubles.
Not only is your brain cluttered with ‘couples paperwork’ but you need to have the mental capacity for patience, kindness, and even intimacy for someone else after a long day at work. Being in a relationship means being mentally prepared to handle whatever comes your way, especially if there’s some turmoil or friction within the relationship. You can’t just hit the pause button on an argument and the stress can make your living situation uncomfortable.
Even if all’s well in your love life, you can’t just switch off for the day and relax on the couch with your own comfort food and TV show – someone else’s food mood and TV preferences need to be accounted for too.
There’s always someone around who needs to be considered; whether you’re trying to go to sleep and don’t want to disturb them with your sleep stories, you’re craving pizza and they want curry, or you want to get intimate and they’re not feeling it (you can’t just whip out the vibrator like you would if you were single)!
Final thoughts
When it comes to being single, you’re made to feel like the world is against you and they’re pitying you – but in fact, most married couples are jealous of their single friends. Not only are single people living their life on their terms, they have more financial freedom, are more creative, know their identity and stick to it, and have more confidence because they know who they are.