It doesn’t matter whether you’re into straight, gay, transgender or disabled dating – when you’re single, you’re just like all the other people who don’t have a partner. Although the social standards have changed over time and you don’t have to be married by the age of 25 to be considered normal, it’s still not an easy thing to be single. That’s why we’ve decided to share a few tips on how to survive the life of a single person living in a couple’s world.
Sure, all of us want a happy ending. In fact, we would like nothing better than to meet a guy or a girl, fall in love with them and live happily ever after, right? Although this is true 99% of the time, it doesn’t mean your life should stop if there’s no potential partner on your horizon.
Being single has its benefits. You don’t have to burden yourself with things like “Will he/she like my new dress/sweater?” or “I haven’t spoken to my S.O. in like hours.” Instead, take this time to treat yourself to some nice stuff, such as watching the movies you like, preparing your favorite dish every day for a whole week and sleeping your socks off without worrying about a thing.
Furthermore, multiple studies have shown that single people have a lesser chance of gaining unwanted weight than those in a relationship. Also, it turns out that single women are in a better mental health state than married ones, especially if kids are involved.
You probably didn’t even consider this one, but it actually only requires some simple math understanding in order to realize that a single life costs less than living in a relationship. One person spends less than two – it’s that simple.
Aside from the obvious, there’s also another big thing you can avoid by being single, and that’s a spouse who spends money uncontrollably or irresponsibly. Just imagine working your butt off to earn some cash, only to come home to a partner who doesn’t mind spending $400 on socks or something as trivial. In short, you can handle your finances better when you’re single.
There’s a common misconception about the words “single” and “alone” being the same thing. In truth, although they are similar, they have nothing to do with each other if you surround yourself with friends.
Sometimes friendships can be stronger than romantic relationships, which can be proven by two people who have been friends since they were kids, but not with as many couples who have been in love since childhood. Plus, all that time a partner would consume is freed up now and that means you have more chances to hang out with your buddies and/or girlfriends than ever before.
Also, let’s not forget about how hard it is to meet new people if your significant other tends to be jealous. Just imagine how many opportunities for great friendships you would miss if your partner throws jealousy fits every time you tell them about an awesome coworker you’ve met today.
What some of us miss the most from our past relationships aren’t the romantic gestures or the long calls in the middle of the night – it’s sex. And even though intercourse usually requires at least two participants, being single doesn’t necessarily mean the flames of your sex life are about to get snuffed out.
It’s true that single people have sex less frequently than those in a relationships, there’s no denying that. However, you can still have one night stands or you can become “friends with benefits” with someone you like only on a physical level, which could be even hotter than making love to your significant other.
Actually, studies have shown that singles enjoy sex more than people in relationships, so if science says so, it must be true!
You know how we mentioned social standards and stigmas about being single? Well, since those are usually set or at least initiated by the media, you should probably ignore the depictions of happy couples that you see on your TV or in your magazines.
If you think this is just an act of turning the blind eye towards the problem, you’re wrong. The media keeps telling us that we need to be in a relationship to be happy for decades, and we all know a lot of single people who can sometimes be happier than couples married for 20 or more years. Each person’s happiness comes from a different source and in a different form, so don’t let the society tell you you’re miserable just because you’re single.
Like we’ve said before, living a single life isn’t always a sad and terrifying thing, but it’s definitely the time for you to work on yourself and try to become the best person you can possibly be.
Instead of constantly thinking about someone else (not that there’s anything wrong with that), try focusing on improving your body, mind, and skills. Learn to do something new, start working out, do some charity work, or take carpentry classes – whatever you choose, remember that you’re doing it for yourself.
This will help you both immediately and later on. Initially you’ll feel much better about yourself, but the true benefits will surface once you start dating again, as by then you’ll know who you really are and you’ll have more stories to tell, which is always beneficial.
In conclusion, everything we’ve said so far leads to the single (no pun intended) most important thing about flying solo, and that’s being an optimist above all else.
Don’t give things you dislike about being single too much thought and try not to dwell on your past mistakes. Instead, learn to focus on the stuff you like about the single life, such as the freedom to flirt with whomever you want and whenever you want. After all, things won’t get better if you keep moping around and feeling sorry for yourself – turn that frown upside down and put the good things in your life in the spotlight.