Dating : The Perks of Being Single

You don’t need a partner to be happy.

I know this goes against what a lot of people tell you. They say it sucks to be alone. Life is so sad if you don’t have anyone to share it with.

There are two sides to every story. Let’s shine some light on the single side from the positive single perspective.

Why do you need a romantic partner to be considered happy? Work, hobbies, and spending time with friends and family are enough to make life fulfilling. Not everyone wants to be tied to one person. Not everyone feels drawn to the idea of settling down that entails getting married and having children.

Relationships are not for everyone. But if they are for you, don’t despair. You can still be happily single, just focus on the good things about it.

It’s best if you’re pretty comfortable with being alone before being with someone. It’s better to be confident in your solitude so that you can welcome someone into your life without being dependent on that relationship.

Here are some reasons why being single can be fantastic, good for you and sometimes better than being in a relationship.

You Don’t Have to Check In With Anyone

Like, ever. There are certain things you should do when you’re in a relationship, like checking in with your partner. This is just a respect thing. You generally would know what each other is up to regarding weekend or evening plans. This is so you can plan date nights or plan who’s spending the night with whom if you’re not already living together.

Nights out with co-workers or friends are often discussed so nobody has expectations that are unmet. You’re not asking for permission, but you’re keeping each other in the loop. You’re both on the same page regarding your schedules.

When you’re single, you don’t need worry about hurting your significant other’s feelings if you don’t want to spend an evening together. When you’re single, you can come and go as you please and nobody is wondering where your other half is.

You Can Only Do What You Like to Do

When you’re in a relationship, sometimes you have to compromise and do activities that your partner enjoys, but you could easily live without. I dated an extremely fit personal trainer and he loved to workout. We started going going to the gym together. I’m all for staying in shape, but I did not live to go to the gym by any means. I also never watched anime before I dated a guy who was really into it. When we broke up, I stopped watching anime.

When you’re single, you don’t have to do any of that. You have certain friends to do certain hobbies with and you know which friends you would never call to do certain things. There’s no issues. I’m not sure why we expect our partners to just adopt our lifestyles, but it’s definitely a thing.

Being single, you don’t have anyone who feels like you’re not trying to be a part of their life. You have the freedom to only do what you want.

You Can Talk to Other People Without Feeling Guilty or Being Judged

I was once at a party where I was having a great conversation with a guy and, craziest thing, he told a joke and I laughed. I caught my friend glancing at me and later she asked me if everything was OK with my boyfriend. Everything was fine.

I wasn’t flirting. I was just talking, but she made me feel like I did something wrong just because I was enjoying someone’s company who wasn’t my boyfriend.

When you’re single, you don’t have to worry about any of that. You can talk to whoever you want and you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.

You Can Spend More Time with Friends

Friendships can fall by the wayside when you get into a relationship. Love can you make you want to spend most of your time with your partner, which is completely understandable.

When you’re with someone, juggling work and spending time with them can push friends down on the priority list. This isn’t the best thing, but it happens.

When you’re on your own, you get to spend your free time with your friends. You don’t have to split your time so you can take the girls trip without thinking twice. You can go to happy hour with your coworkers because you’re not thinking about dinner plans with your partner later.

You Can Only Focus on Yourself

One of the perks of being in a relationship is having someone who’s got your back and you’ve got theirs. You two consistently make time for each other and you’re on each other’s minds even when you’re not together.

This is great, but if you’ve got a lot on your plate, it can be nice to not have to worry about someone else. It’s nice to have the support from your partner if you’re stressed for sure, but sometimes, it’s better to handle things on your own.

When you’re single, you can internalize and really focus on work or a passion project without having to consider how someone else will react to you not being as available.

I know some people prefer being in a relationship to being single, but I’m just saying that being alone has its advantages.

If you’re someone who enjoys more personal freedom and you’re not that interested in sharing your life with someone, single life is truly the best.