It’s easy to fall victim to the way the world thinks and hate the “single forever” life you’re worried you’re approaching. But when nobody’s stopping you from pursuing your hobbies all day long and you don’t feel guilty about flirting with someone, it quickly dawns on you that it’s really not that bad. Let’s take a look at the benefits of being single, so you don’t start setting all your social media accounts as private the next time Valentine’s Day rolls around.
5 Benefits Of Being Single
“What? You’re not dating anyone? Oh, you’re in a long-distance relationship, you mean?” No, I’m just not in a relationship with anyone, I don’t need to be distracted from myself to find joy. Let’s get it straight, getting married and having a partner to “settle down” with is great, but if you’re looking to spend a couple (or 5, or 10) years being single and happy, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, as you’ll see in this article, it’s actually pretty great. Going to a party? There’s no one you can’t flirt with. What’s that? Did you hear someone shouting and crying in the distance? Yeah, me neither. That noise is only for people in relationships who are fighting about something stupid, like how one of them hasn’t uploaded a photo of the other on their Instagram yet. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons why it’s so easy to stay single and happy, even if your sleep-deprived (because they’ve been fighting all night) coupled up friends would suggest otherwise.
1. Repeat after me: I am rich
If you’ve been in a relationship before, you know it’s not cheap. The constant trips to Starbucks and the Cheesecake Factory’s aren’t too sweet on the wallet, and let’s not even begin to talk about the weight gain. There’s no better feeling than looking at your bank account at the end of the month and seeing a figure that doesn’t make you cringe in horror. Granted, it might happen even when you’re in a relationship, but the month someone’s birthday or your anniversary rolls around, you can say goodbye to that healthy bank account. As a matter of fact, you’re not really single. You’re in the healthiest relationship ever, just with your bank account. Ka-ching!
2. Let the floodgates open for your DMs
Every time a guy DMs you, you probably already have “I have a boyfriend” resting in your holster, and you’re waiting to whip it out the minute their story replies start sounding a bit like “You look so beautiful”. When you’re single, you don’t have to shoot down this man’s hopes and dreams and dismiss them with what’s resting in your holster. Instead, you can graciously accept the compliment, start flirting a bit if you’re looking for some fun, or just enjoy the attention.
3. You avoid all the pressure that comes with dating
There are about 2 billion guides on the internet about how to set up your dating app profile and how to talk to people there, but yet somehow, it just never feels perfect, does it? Unless you’re a girl, of course. Yours are filled to the brim with a million matches an hour after downloading the app on your phone. The point is, dating is hard. From picking the place you’ll meet in, to picking out what you want to wear on the first date, wouldn’t you rather just pull up Netflix and chill out? Then comes the actual date. “Should I not have said that?”, “Am I being boring right now?”, “Was that a hint they wanted to leave?” When you decide to be single for a while, the dates get a bit easier too, should you go on one. When there’s nothing to lose and you’re only on one because your friend forced you to go, you’re not going to be thinking about whether your stand-up comedy routine is working with this person or not. Needless to say, single life comes with its own “Hakuna Matata”-esque vibes. Who wouldn’t want to use a trouble-free philosophy?
4. You can do whatever you want
In the mood to take a nap without feeling guilty for not texting someone? Do it. Want to go out without 2 hours of planning? Do it. Want to spend 3 months’ pay on an exuberant Rolex watch you’ll never wear? Do it. Nobody’s stopping you. The biggest benefit of being single is that you can do whatever you damn well please. If you were looking for the biggest benefit of single life, it’s that night when you can throw your phone away without a care in the world, grab that tub of ice cream and watch an episode of your favorite show (without waiting to watch it with a partner instead).
5. You actually have friends, not couples you hang out with
Have you ever been to a couples brunch? If you have, you already know the best part about it is the ride back home, when you’re bitching about the couple you just met. The worst part is, those are probably the only friends you have. While being single, however, you realize you’re blessed with a lot more friends than your coupled-up friends could ever hope to have. There’s a group for everything you do. Want to go hiking? Hit up that fitness enthusiast friend. Want to watch a movie? Hit up that cinema enthusiast. Want to get drunk? Hit up that always-drunk friend. You should probably consider calling AA for them first, though. See? You’re already a better friend than any of the paired-up couples. The next time you feel bad about being single, order in some food and revel in the fact that it didn’t take you 94 hours to decide on what to eat, and you don’t even have to share it with anybody. Throw your phone away without a care in the world and do whatever you want to. You won’t be waking up to “Where have you been?! We need to talk about this!” the next morning. In fact, you might just wake up to your friends planning the next party where you can flirt with everyone.
