Have you noticed in your circle of friends how being single is growing in popularity, and for many different reasons? There has been a steady decline in the number of marriages. The number of single-person households is bigger than it's ever been, and more people delay making commitments like marriage, civil partnerships, or cohabitation, particularly in younger generations.
Research can back this up. A study reported higher levels of positive mental health, lower levels of illnesses associated with a decline in mental health, and lower levels of romantic loneliness among those who choose to be single.
When you are single, you get to put all your focus and free time towards your own needs and desires. Rather than losing yourself to the relationship or allowing your own life to take a back seat to focus on the wants, needs, and desires of your other half.
This change of focus in our daily life leads many to a deeper level of self-realization, the creation of more spiritual, self-supporting habits such as yoga, meditation, and self-development in general. The bonus of having more space and time for yourself also allows your creative side to come out and play in many new and joyful ways.
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There is a huge upside to never having to compromise your life choices to fit another's agenda or follow their career rather than focusing on your own. Being single means you get to do what you want, when you want, and with whoever you wish. With all that navel gazing, socialising, and expanding of horizons comes a higher level of emotional intelligence.
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Your circle of friends is your own, not the collective that coupling can offer. This also reduces the risk of losing some or most of your social circle should the romance not work out. All this wonderfulness leads to a wider, more varied social circle, often inspiring more daring decisions, which move you out of the humdrum of your comfort zone, motivating you to greater spontaneity and the search for fun and new adventures.
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Singledom means that every day, you have the opportunity to treat yourself exactly as you wish to be treated by others. You're not going to give yourself a hard time, take the day's stress out on yourself over dinner, or make demands of yourself that you can't or don't want to meet. This truly is self-love at its core level, something many of us could do with having more of.
With your fabulous single life comes increasing levels of self-awareness, not only allowing you to acknowledge and process your feelings at a deeper level, but it also provides you with a greater capacity for letting go of old, outdated beliefs and programming. Socially, you develop a wider variety of skills and experiences, as well as cultivate new and varied friendships, where you can build deeper, more meaningful connections that reflect who you truly are.
All of this leads to a happier, healthier, more fulfilled life as an emotionally evolved soul.
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LouLou Palmer is a professional and personal development coach with over 20 years of experience utilizing science-based therapies, Shamanic techniques, and other modalities. Her work, profiled on BBC Woman's Hour, is based in the UK but available globally.