This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bristol chapter.
With the arrival of Valentine’s Day, being single can lead to moping around about not having a date. But hey, who needs a date when you have girlfriends and food, right? For some reason, being single is often considered a negative thing but there are so many wonderful advantages to being single that are overlooked. I blame the rom coms. Relationships do not equate to happiness; in fact it’s possible to be miserable and lonely whilst being in one. Being single has nothing to do with your sense of worth, feelings of loneliness or attractiveness.
As someone who has been in two serious relationships since being 15, I have learned more about myself in the last three months of being single than I ever thought possible. It’s been such a long time since I have had the mental space to look at my life and completely focus on myself, and it is such a refreshing feeling. So, you might be wondering why I think being single is so great? Well here we go.
Most importantly, you have the time to focus on yourself and create the life you want. Being in a relationship shouldn’t be limiting, but it does affect your life. Instead of thinking about yourself, you also have another person to consider in day to day life as well as important life decisions. It’s a big responsibility. Being single allows you to work on yourself in ways like letting go of the past or working on bad habits. You have time to focus on being the best version of yourself and writing a new chapter in your life. Additionally, you have the time and energy to follow your dreams and ambitions without any worries. You can enrich your life so much and completely focus on yourself because you now have the space and freedom to do so. How is that not exciting?
You also have more time to hang out with your friends. I love being around people and having a busy social life, but in the last four years I have had to make sacrifices in order to make time for a relationship. It’s so important to find the right balance between friends and relationships, and it’s easy to mess this balance up. However, the amount of time being single has allowed me to have has meant that the only thing taking me away from spending time with friends is my degree. My life is so enriched because of the amazing people I have in my life and I would not change a thing about it.
Lastly, you don’t answer to anyone. There won’t ever be incidents of having to explain yourself or holding back. You can go where a night takes you, you can do whatever you want and see whoever you want. You can go on hundreds of dates or you can go on none. You can explore your sexuality and be as spontaneous as you want at the drop of a hat. You get the opportunity to meet new people who will teach you valuable lessons for later in life when things get more serious.
If you’re single at the moment, just enjoy all of these things because you never know what the future holds. Make the most of your freedom until you do meet someone who completely throws you off balance, and when that does happen, then embrace the joys of a relationship. Just relish in whatever life gives you.
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