Some single people seem to be happier than people who aren’t, so does that mean being single is better? Maybe, maybe not. Find out ways to be happy as a single person and if being single is better for you.
It seems like almost everyone is doing everything they can to find the perfect romantic partner and settle down with them for life, but some people act like they have no interest whatsoever in doing that. That’s because they love being single. Why on earth would anybody choose to be single? Join us at SpiritualBlossom to find out. Discover how many singles there are and if they are really better off like some of them seem to think they are. Find out if singles really are happier, the pros and cons of being single, and how to be happy if you’re single, even if you didn’t choose to be.
How Many People Are Single?
Just in the United States, 46.4% of adults are estimated to be single as of 2023. That doesn't include people in the rest of the world, but that's almost half the adult population just in one nation. Why are so many people single, though? For one thing, the age that people get married is increasing, and that's been happening since 1970. Singles are more focused on having pets than kids also- and you don’t need a partner to have pets. They're not caving in to societal expectations of settling down and starting families young, and it seems that societal expectations are changing to reflect that. As of 2021, one study found that 25% of millennials were expected to never marry at all. Read more here: The single population is growing, and it's time to grow with it
Psychology Today shared three big reasons why a lot of people are single. They want freedom of choice, which means things like they can flirt with whoever they want or choose not to have a family. They cite having constraints like being unable to have kids or some kind of a health issue. One of the other big reasons listed was difficulties in relationships. Recent breakups, fear of being disappointed, and trust issues can keep people from being open to relationships and that will definitely keep you single by choice. Read more here: The 3 Main Reasons People Stay Single | Psychology Today
Are Single People Better Off?
Are people really better off if they're single? In some ways you are better off being single, but in other ways you are not. If you want to be single you are definitely better off if you are, however if you don't want to be single, you're going to feel like you're worse off if you are. If you're grieving the loss of a relationship, jumping into a new relationship immediately may be worse for you than taking the time to be single for a while so you can heal. If you don't know what you want from a relationship, and you haven't met anybody that you feel like settling down with, you might feel better off being single.
Financially, you're better off if you're not single because two incomes go farther than one. In a lot of places, home ownership is designed for families with two incomes as opposed to one, so if you only have one income you're less likely to be able to afford to buy property. Some people hate what they call ”the dating game.” Constantly having to go out and meet new people to seek out a romantic partner can be frustrating and exhausting for some people. Some people prefer not to even date and they feel like they are better off being single than “playing games.”
What Difficulties Do Singles Have?
Being single isn't always all fun and games though. There are difficulties that can come with being single. Loneliness is a real issue that can affect your health and even shorten the lifespan. Having one income instead of two holds you back from doing things you want to. Having less social support also creates its own form of problems.
Loneliness
Some people value their alone time, but too much alone time can become a problem. Feeling isolated when you want to feel close to somebody takes a toll on you emotionally, and that takes a toll on your health. When you become stressed from loneliness, your immune system weakens, your blood pressure can shoot up as well as your heart rate, and it can become difficult to sleep, eat right, or concentrate. Seeing everybody else who you know happily coupled with someone else can make you feel even more isolated. Teaming up with other people can alleviate the loneliness being single can bring. You can read all about that here:Teamwork: The Power of Strength in Numbers
One Income
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys everything else. Money buys food to eat, rent or your mortgage so you can have a place to live, clothes, medicine, and everything else. All of these things create your quality of life. When you only have one income, you can buy less of these things. Having a second income also ensures that you will have money coming in if one of you happens to lose your job. What if you make plenty of money and you're not worried about a second income? Then you're very lucky, but if you have a second income you can save money for retirement, vacations, and have money to help family and friends. Worrying about income can give you serious anxiety. Read about the best crystals for anxiety here: The Best Stones for Anxiety
Less Support
Having a significant other means that you have a partner there when you need help with things. If you are sick, they will take care of you. If your car breaks down, they can drive you to work. If you're having a bad day, they can reassure you. When you are in a partnership with someone else, you are partners in life, and you help each other in countless ways. When you're single, that's a little bit less of a support group than you would have if you had a supportive partner. If you are surrounded by friends, you won’t lack support, but what if you are stuck in the friendzone? Read about getting out of the friendzone here: How Do I Get Out of the Friend Zone?
What Problems Do Singles Avoid?
Being single isn't all bad though. Staying single means you will never have to worry about having a broken heart or go through an ugly breakup. When you're single, you don't have to answer to anybody. You get to make your own decisions. You also don't have to settle for someone who doesn't satisfy you.
Breakups
One of the biggest problems that you have to deal with if you are in a romantic relationship is the possibility of breaking up. Breakups can be the most painful things that you will ever go through. Most people will experience some form of a breakup in their life. The ugly truth about breakups is no matter how long you're with somebody there's always a chance that you could break up. If you stay single, you won't ever have to deal with that. One of the most difficult forms of breakups are divorces, but if you end up divorced you will survive. Find out how you can here: Surviving Your Divorce
Answering to Someone
Sometimes you just want to make your own decisions. If you're not single you can't always do that. Especially if you live with your significant other, they have a lot of say in the way that things are done. Even if your partner is not telling you what to do, you're still responsible to them. Some people really don't like that. They don't want to have to let anybody know what's going on in their lives and they don't want anybody to make any decisions regarding what they do. Some people even have controlling partners, but being single means you will never have to worry about a partner being controlling. Read here to find out how the Zodiac Signs can be controlling: The Zodiac Signs and Control
Settling
Some people settle into a relationship and then regret it. Then they feel stuck and end up resenting their partner. They may meet someone who they realize that they like better and then they really regret settling for someone who wasn't right for them. Some people settle just because they don't want to be single, and then some people settle because they feel like they can't find anyone else. Settling with the wrong person can make you feel like you don’t belong in that relationship, but you do belong somewhere. Read here to find out where you belong: Connecting to Where You Belong
How to Be Happy Being Single
When you are drawn to a romantic relationship with someone it might seem like everything to you. However, romantic relationships really aren't everything. Chances are, at some point in your life, you may be single even if you don't want to be. Rather than telling yourself that you can't be happy until you're in a long-term relationship, learn how to be happy on your own. It's not that difficult. Spend time with your friends, invest in your own life, make good choices for yourself, and pursue every dream you have. Whatever you do, make sure to do the things that bring happiness.
Spend Time with Your Friends
Even if you were settled down and have a happy long-term relationship, you wouldn't spend twenty-four hours a day seven days a week with your significant other. You also wouldn't give up the life that you have with your friends. Your friends are people who share your life with you from the time you're a child until the time when you're old together. The more people you have to love in your life, the richer and happier your life will be, so don't downplay the importance of friends. They will have your back, share good times with you, and grow with you over the years. What would you do without your friends? Read all about the love of friends here: All About the Love of Friends
Invest in Yourself
When you're not dating somebody, quite often you'll have extra time to do things. Use that time wisely. Pursue a hobby, take some classes, up your workout game, and read that book you bought last summer. Get some extra sleep or take your dream vacation. Focus on the kind of life that you want to have and then go live it. Significant others are wonderful when you fall in love, but your life is important regardless of who is or isn't in it. Invest in your life by investing in yourself and loving yourself like nobody else can. Read how to cultivate self-love here: Practicing Self Love
Make Your Own Choices
It's not always easy to make decisions, especially about important things. Having a significant other to talk to about those things makes it a little easier to decide sometimes. When you're single, you can think about what you really want, and what you really need. When you don't have to accommodate anyone else, you can do whatever you want. That's a very good thing. Making choices can be hard, but don’t worry about making tough decisions. You can find out how here: Making Hard Decisions
Follow Your Dreams
When you were a kid, what did you dream about doing with your life? As a young adult what were your dreams? Why aren't you out there pursuing them right now? Because you're single and you think you can't be happy or follow your dreams unless you have a partner to do them with you? Nothing could be further than the truth. Life is about a lot of things, but one thing it's not about is putting your life on hold. Think about what your dreams are and think about how wonderful it will be when you're pursuing those dreams. So, follow those dreams. Dream it, plan it, and do it. Find out how to make all your dreams come true here: How to Make All Your Dreams Come True
Do What Makes You Happy
What things make you happy? Those are the things that you need to be doing. What makes you happy might change over time, so change what you do. You don't need a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse to do the things that make you happy. If you're not out doing the things that make life happy for you, it's time to make a list. List at least 100 things that make you happy. If you are not doing at least one of those things a day, you need to start. As a matter of fact, why not do at least 10 things each day that make you happy? Add new things to that list often and stay happy. One thing that can make you happy is manifesting the things that you want. Learn how to do that here: How to Manifest Your Life After Changes
Some people hate being single and will do everything they can to avoid it- even staying in a dead-end relationship with the wrong person. You don’t ever have to do that. Being single isn’t all bad, and it can actually be the best thing for you. While it is true that having a significant other can help with resources and alleviating feelings of loneliness, being single has its own benefits. You won’t deal with things like painful breakups or settling for someone who isn’t right for you if you are single. You can be happy as a single person by focusing on how much you invest in yourself, after all. The most important relationship you will ever have is the one you have with yourself, and any other relationship is second to that!
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Mysticsense and SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for The Green Egg Magazine and PaganPages.Org emag.
