Being Single Isn’t a Bad Thing—Here’s Why
Being single isn’t an easy feat—especially in today’s world, where single women are labeled as a “lonely” bunch. Our current society has also conditioned everyone to believe that someone’s a failure unless they’re not in a romantic relationship.
Indeed, living in a society where you get sympathetic stares when you reach a certain age and are not in a relationship or aren’t married can be very hard. But, being single isn’t a bad thing at all.
Singlehood in the Current Era
The reality is that there are 34.8 million Filipino singles, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2015. True enough, this number has been rising—with more single locals than before.
Hence, even when you’re alone as a single person, you’re far from an anomaly. You’re actually the norm in this era where having a revolutionary heart and mind is necessary.
Reasons Why Being Single Is a Good Thing
If you’re still unsure why being single is never a bad thing, here are more reasons to know:
1. You develop fulfilling friendships
Single people aren’t necessarily unhappy. They don’t lie in bed, moping about their relationship status. Contrary to unpopular beliefs, singlehood and happiness can be synonymous terms.
Being single can be fulfilling, much like being in a relationship. One reason would have to be because singles get to develop a deeper relationship with the people around them—be it friends or family.
Their solitary status helps them foster meaningful social connections. Through singlehood, they get to focus on giving help to friends and family and reaching out when they need help in return.
2. You become financially independent
One of the perks of being in a relationship is sharing financial responsibilities and burdens with someone. But, it doesn’t guarantee you financial security all the same. In fact, being single can be more beneficial than being in a relationship.
When you’re single and don’t have someone you can rely on to cover your financial expenses, you’re forced to do things alone. You push yourself to be proactive and resourceful. Hence, you find better and cheaper ways to get things done.
3. You prioritize your health more
While couples in a relationship are arguably happier, research points out that single people are typically healthier.
Single people care more about their health and overall well-being. Hence, they exercise more, eat right, and follow better lifestyles. They also take better care of themselves by being more positive and content with their lives.
And, just to throw it out there, single people tend to be more sexually active than married couples. This data is according to a survey conducted between 1989 and 2014.
4. You learn to figure out what you want in life
Singledom is the perfect season to figure out one’s values and goals in life. It’s the ideal time to know what you want in life and where you want to be in life.
When you’re in a relationship, you tend to focus on what will be beneficial for you both than for yourself alone. And, this isn’t a bad thing at all. But, when you’re single, you get to reevaluate who you are and where you wish to be in the future.
Thankfully, through singledom, you have free time to ask yourself questions. These could be like, “What are the things I’m most passionate about?” “What changes am I willing to become the best version of myself?” and “How hard am I ready to work to get what I want?”
By being single—and actually happy about it—you get to focus on the one significant factor that’ll make all your steps feasible: yourself.
5. You understand yourself better
Everyone has this never-ending quest to learn more about themselves. While no one truly knows when one meets their genuine selves, it surely happens when one finds time to get in touch with oneself. And, singlehood may (or may not be) the perfect moment for that.
Being single can present an advantageous prospect for you and your quest for self-discovery. You get to learn a whole lot of things you didn’t know before. It could be discovering you’re a good dancer or that you’re a natural at golf.
More importantly, you’ll learn to value your freedom and become more accountable for your choices and actions. When you’re happily single, you get to embrace your genuine self.
All those things are crucial in your quest for self-discovery. Before sharing your life with someone special, you’d need to be a whole, happy, and contented person.
No one can ever complete you—you can only complement with someone who could be your person. Hence, this should be your goal: to be complete on your own before trying to complement well with someone else.
6. You discover the importance of self-care
Healthy relationships can push us to be the best versions of ourselves. It also helps us become great together by being with each other through good and bad times. But, this doesn’t suggest single people can’t be great by themselves, any less.
Singlehood helps someone focus on improving oneself. If you’re single, you’re more attentive to your needs and wants. You rarely miss a day where you don’t pamper yourself and exert more effort for self-development.
And, if this for you isn’t a great reason to be single, then we don’t know what is.
7. You enjoy your own company
Just because someone is single doesn’t mean they’re automatically lonely. Solitude doesn’t have anything to do with unhappiness. In retrospect, singlehood makes someone appreciate alone times.
When you’re single, you learn not to depend on others to be happy or contented. By being single, you discover how to be alone and enjoy your own company.
8. You become self-sufficient and reliant
Being single teaches you to roll with the punches. This is because you’re all on your own, so you don’t have a choice but to do things by yourself. Although this may sound like a disadvantage from afar, singlehood can benefit you in more ways than one.
When you’re alone, you become self-sufficient and reliant, and as a result, you become wiser and stronger. You learn the value of individuality and independence. You accomplish things your way without worrying about what others have to say.
9. Your confidence level improves
When you’re single, you don’t have a choice but to depend on yourself alone. You don’t have a partner to tap into when life gets tough. As a result, you get to bank on your inner strength.
All this essentially helps you become more confident—about your abilities as an individual. Solitude helps us self-reflect, which in turn breeds confidence. This incredible trust for oneself will eventually have a positive ripple effect on all your relationships.
10. You get to see life clearly
Being in a relationship can be mentally and emotionally expensive. You worry about how your partner is doing, how not to disappoint them more, or how to appease them. There’s just too much to think about, and this can be holistically exhausting.
While being in a relationship can also give you rewarding benefits, the stress levels of being in one—especially something that’s so toxic—can hinder your genuine happiness. On the contrary, though, you’re freer to do what you wish when you’re single. You’re no longer obligated to compromise almost everything about you to appease your partner.
Most importantly, when you’re single, you see life clearly. You don’t easily get irritated by something so trivial because this time, your mind and body are free of all the unnecessary anxiety you’ve been carrying before. Stress that has been fogging your view from what truly matters: boundless happiness, stimulating experiences, and peace of mind.
Chin up and embrace singlehood
Being single isn’t a bad thing at all. Who doesn’t want to learn more about themselves, cultivate better relationships with friends and family, and grow as a person? We’d pick that over anything any time of the day, that’s for sure!
So, the next time you doubt if you’re ever normal just because you’re single, stop! Remember this: you’re the norm, and being single could actually be the greatest thing that could ever happen to you.
So, cheer up and welcome singlehood and enjoy its perks as much as you can, okay?
