Coupling up is a big deal. Our culture’s habit of favoring romantic relationships often leads to a frantic push to find someone, anyone with whom to settle. But does it really have to be that way? Frankly, flying solo is underrated. For a second, let’s take a minute to truly appreciate the many things we love about being single.
1. We Learn to Love Spending Time Alone
Spending time alone gets a bad rap. Be it curling up with your favorite novel or treating yourself to a long bubble bath, there’s something utterly relaxing about spending time in your own company. This is something that being single forces you to do, and yet it can be one of the most liberating experiences.
Being truly happy with yourself means looking forward to those times when you don’t need to be social — when you can be on your own and chill out for a while. While some look at this as being antisocial or lonely, we know that’s not the case. Not having to pander to anyone else’s whims is a wonderful feeling.
2. Relationship Drama Just Ain’t a Thing
Make no mistakes, relationships come with a major side dish of drama from time to time. Whether it’s bickering about the in-laws or where to go on vacay, it can be seriously hard going. There’s nothing like hearing your less-than-single friend moaning about their significant other to remind you that the grass isn’t always greener.
Luckily, being single means not having to deal with drama from your other half. It means keeping things simple and straightforward. If you don’t like something or someone, you can walk away from them. That’s your prerogative.
3. We Can Binge-Watch Whatever We Like
Who needs a relationship when we live in the age of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu? No one. Binge-watching is a lifestyle and, let’s face it, another person would just complicate that. When you’re single, you get to choose what you want to watch on television 100% of the time. You literally switch on and figuratively switch off whenever you please.
Sure, we’re not denying the fact that people in relationships binge-watch too; of course, they do. There’s just one difference — they compromise. They have to talk about which shows they want to invest their time in and figure out when they can both sit down to watch them together. What’s more, there’s the undeniable tension should one of them dare to watch episodes ahead — *gasps* — without the other. Sheer madness.
4. We’re Just as Happy as Our Coupled Up Friends
There’s a common misconception that single people are sad, lonely, desperate beings — that we must spend our nights weeping and lamenting our singleness. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a myth that we need to dispel ASAP because it’s not helping anyone out there.
In fact, research from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology recently found that many single people are just as content with their lives as those in relationships. The reason is simple. While being in a relationship brings a whole host of benefits, it also has its drawbacks. The study found that those who had “avoidance social goals” (i.e. tended to steer clear of conflict) were likely to be happiest being single.
5. We Get to Starfish Every Single Night
Sure, sharing a bed and spooning can be cute from time to time, but there’s one major advantage when you’re single. Sleeping alone means you can starfish (read: spread your entire body out like a starfish) every single night. You don’t need to share that big old double bed. You don’t need to worry about taking more than your fair share of the quilt. You don’t have to stay in one position. Oh no, you’re the master of your own bed.
6. We Won’t Settle for Less Than We Deserve
While everyone around us is coupling up and playing house, there may be a temptation to grab the nearest eligible date and do the same damn thing. But let’s face it, we all know that settling is not the way to go. A study by the University of Toronto found that the fear of being single often leads people to settle for less than they deserve in a relationship.
With that in mind, there’s something utterly honorable about holding out for the all-elusive soulmate. Being single isn’t always about being alone — sometimes, it’s about refusing to settle down with someone who just isn’t right. And that’s perfectly okay. Scratch that. It’s better than okay; it’s how we should all value ourselves.
7. We Have Killer Social Circles
We get by with a little help from our friends. When you’re not in a relationship, your besties really do count. A study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that single people were more likely to reach out to their peer group than married people were. What’s more, it also found that the same people gave more and received more help from their friends than other people. Nice.
So, generally speaking, single people are closer to their friendship circle than those in relationships. That means keeping up with people, long phone calls, and loads of Facebook event requests. Yes.
8. You Can Be Unapologetically Selfish
“Don’t be selfish!” Those are the words that echoed throughout most of our childhoods, whether spoken by teachers, parents, or neighbors. But wait just a darn minute — what’s wrong with being selfish now and then? So long as you’re not hurting anyone else, there’s no shame in putting yourself first and doing what you want to do.
Sugarcoat it all you like but we all know that being in a relationship means compromising and, at times, putting your partner first. On the flip side, singledom means that you get to do you. You don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks, what they want, or how they think you should be. You’re the boss, so you get the final say.