Being single is all about making the most of the opportunity it brings. From freedom, exploration and adventure, being single offers you a chance to rediscover yourself, define your values and look back at how far you've come to where you are now.
I know being single isn't the same as being in a relationship. You don't have that one person to come home to, to look after you when you're ill and who the future of a family life would be so much more straight forward with. I get it, it's the dream to find someone to be your lobster and live happily ever after.
But there are ways to enjoy being single and to make the most of it. When you're single, the world is your oyster. It's full of opportunity, exploration and adventure if you allow it, and I've rounded up eight ways to enjoy being single so that you can live a happy, single life!
1. You have more time.
Without having that other person that demands all your attention all the time, being single means that you have more time. Whether that's for spending on your own carrying out point Number 2 or spending time working on point Number 3, you have so much more time than your partnered up counterparts. And I promise you, they're jealous of that at times!
2. You discover yourself.
With all that time on your hands, now is the time to go into yourself. If you're out of a long-term relationship, it might be that you've never actually done this before and you don't really know yourself. Well, now's the time to learn. Try out that cooking class, have a go at rock climbing, go to the restaurant on your own. Do something that pushes you and see what you like and what holds you back. As well as that, spend time winding down on an evening by journalling or meditating, a way to unlock the thoughts that are sitting beneath the surface and that you learn who you truly are by doing.
3. You deepen your connection to others.
People don't realise how important this one and it's vital to surviving as a single person. Yes, I said surviving. The part people crave about being in a relationship is having someone to rely on, someone to care about you and love you. We seem to have associated that sense of belonging to "the one" and that if you're not with someone, then a sense of you is missing. But that doesn't have to be the case when you're single. Instead, you have to focus on the connections you have, and the new ones that are to come, but actually develop a relationship with them. Of course, I don't necessarily mean a sexual or romantic one. I mean deeply knowing a handful of people that you're closest to, moving past any judgement and loving them for exactly who they are. In turn and over time, your connections deepen because these are now the people you rely on that contribute to your sense of belonging that later become the bedrock of your confidence.
4. You can do what you want, when you want.
Always a favourite. As single women, it's easy to people please, to compromise some of ourselves to satisfy the needs of others. Well not any more, girlfriend! No longer do you have a person to check in with. Single life is all about being able to have full choice about what you do and when you do it. If you're living alone you have the ultimate opportunity in this. There is no one holding you accountable (except for that side show of bills that need to be paid that determine some of your decisions...) nor asking for a chunk of your time. Embrace the freedom as a way to make the most of your single life!
5. You start to rely fully on yourself.
Everything you do is entirely your responsibility and through that, you learn just how capable you are. Even in the most testing of moments, everything is a learning curve and the key to making the most of being single is treating it all as one big long lesson. You learn what you do instinctively and sometimes that's most effective, and other times it's not. But either way, you learn to trust you in what you do. And if you live on your own, you have a whole house to look after. Paying the bills, tidying up, cooking for yourself, dealing with the problems of a house like surprise leaks and broken boilers. You learn what you can deal with but also when to seek the help of others, whether that's friends and family, or when it's time to call the plumber!
6. You take ownership of your single life!
It's all yours my single girl! It's on you. You own your thoughts, actions, behaviours, and you make the decisions for you. It takes some shifting and getting used to but you realise that only you are responsible for your happiness. That there isn't anyone else but YOU, and that is the ultimate to getting confident and having the best time in your single life.
Now go out there and own it!