So you’ve spent another weekend with some popcorn, pizza and your favorite movie after going on a date with yourself–so what? Although your friends keep on pushing you to meet people aka potential love interests, you should neither feel pressured nor obligated to do what they think is best for you.
You don’t need a man or woman to make you happy. Remember, being alone doesn’t necessarily mean being lonely–singlehood is fun and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, science proves that in some cases, being single can make you healthier. Here’s how:
You’re able to sleep in peace.
Having a partner to cuddle with is nice, but being able to sleep soundly without any disturbances is also as rewarding. Dr. Steven Scharf, director of the University of Maryland Sleep Disorders Center says there are a lot of factors on why your sleep is messed up.
“People with obstructive sleep apnea can make a great deal of noise and are very restless, which can disturb their partner. In many cases, partners in these scenarios end up in separate bedrooms at night because one of them can't sleep.” So if you’re single, you get to have the whole bed to yourself, plus, you’ll feel so refreshed after a long night of rest.
Your friendships last longer, easier.
Remember that friend you’ve lost contact with after she got into a relationship? Neither do we. Being single lets you have more time to be with your fave friends in good times and bad. Maintaining healthy and happy friendships is important in adulthood–they are your pillar of strength when you’re down and you get to learn from one another's experiences.
Psychologist Bella DePaulo, social scientist and author of Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After says that “having that group of people you care about and who care about you can be profoundly important, providing potential layers of support instead of investing all of your emotional capital into just one relationship.”
She also added that, “...the more effort you make with the people in your life and the fuller your life is, the happier and more resilient you will be–whether you ultimately couple up or not.” At the end of the day, single or taken, one should always stay in touch with her closest friends - it's just much easier to do so when you're the single, kaladkarin friend who's up for anything!
You learn how to be self-sufficient...
…because you’re a strong and independent woman. When you’re single, you eventually learn how to take care of yourself, whether that’s financially or emotionally. You get to manage your own time and you get to choose your personal commitments. You have more time to figure out what you really want in life, which is an important motivator that most people take for granted.
And although having a significant other has its own set of benefits as well, DePaulo says there are other things to consider:
“One of the risks of being in a close romantic relationship is that your sense of self can get merged with your partner's, to the extent that you could lose sight of who you really are.” Pro-tip: Master being single first instead of entering a relationship overly eager yet unprepared. You'll thank us later.
