Why Singleness Is Highly Underrated

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Singleness is not a curse. In fact, it’s a blessing that many of us fail to appreciate until we are in a relationship. No shade to relationships and marriage, but singleness can work wonders for your mental health, personal development, and various other aspects of your life. Sadly, we often struggle to appreciate these chapters of our lives because we have been conditioned to actively pursue relationships. If you’ve been struggling with the idea of your current relationship status, here are ten reminders of why single life is highly underrated.

Alone time

While being in a relationship can be wonderful, it can significantly cut into your alone time. Solitude is important for an abundance of reasons — including self-reflection, problem -solving, rest, and self-discovery.

“It’s a deeper internal process,” Matthew Bowker, a psychoanalytic political theorist at Medaille College told The Atlantic. “It might take a little bit of work before it turns into a pleasant experience,”  But once it does it becomes maybe the most important relationship anybody ever has, the relationship you have with yourself.”

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In some cases, more money

In some regards, married people receive more financial benefits than their single counterparts. One study even found that singles earn $8,000 less than their married peers. However, many singles report that they have more money as well as more financial freedom during times of singleness than they do when they are in a relationship. Further, there is more financial freedom associated with singleness. For the most part, you don’t have to consider the input of another person regarding how money is spent.

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Romantic freedom

One of the most obvious perks of being single is that you are unattached. You’re free to see who you want when you want as often or as infrequently as you please. You don’t have to deal with the pressure or heavy expectations associated with being in a committed relationship. You don’t have to do the emotional heavy-lifting of being in a committed relationship. You are completely free to do you.

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More time to devote to your career

While everyone’s situation is different, singleness will generally afford you way more time to devote to your career than being in a relationship does. Many women find that when they’re single, they are much more focused and productive in comparison to times when they are in a relationship. There are fewer distractions and of course, less guilt about how much time you’re spending away from home.

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Less stress

While some studies have found that married couples experience less stress than singles, there are other studies that directly contradict this sentiment — such as the one that suggests married moms are more stressed than single moms, for example. Anyone who has been in a bad relationship in the past knows that it’s way less stressful to be single than to be in the wrong relationship.

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More time for family

The more people you have in your core circle, the more ways you have to divide your time. When you’re in a relationship, your partner will likely consume a larger percentage of your time. Singleness can leave you with more time to spend with parents and other relatives.

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Less drama

Not every relationship will come with messy drama, but one way or another, they’re bound to complicate your life and ways that you wouldn’t have to experience as a single person. From complex in-laws to kids and co-parents, there’s a lot more that you’ll have to consider when you’re partnered.

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Selfish with resources

When you’re single, you’re able to be more selfish with your time, energy, and resources. With the exception of loved ones you may be committed to caring for, you’re pretty much free to do you and indulge in the things that bring you joy.

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More time to pursue your passions

Whatever your passions may be, single life is likely to afford you with more time to pursue those interests. If you want to spend the entire weekend painting or writing, it’s less likely that you’ll have someone who is upset or feeling neglected because you’ve chosen to do so. If you want to pick up and travel the world for the next several months, you don’t have to worry about a partner who may be in their feelings about your decision.