{"id":31885,"date":"2016-05-12T06:00:53","date_gmt":"2016-05-12T13:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=31885"},"modified":"2016-05-11T14:58:29","modified_gmt":"2016-05-11T21:58:29","slug":"6-signs-the-single-life-is-right-for-you-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/6-signs-single-life-is-right-for-you-right-now-0512164","title":{"rendered":"6 Signs the Single Life Is Right for You Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WomanLet\u2019s face it: being single can be really hard! No matter your age, people are always asking, \u201cSo are you seeing anyone?\u201d or, \u201cHave you met anyone special lately?\u201d Society at large seems to think there\u2019s something fundamentally wrong with being single. There is also a prevailing (and inaccurate) perception everyone wants to be in a relationship<\/a> or get married.<\/p>\n

The truth is, being single can be positive\u00a0and healthy for any number of reasons. Though it can feel lonely<\/a> at times, it can be an empowering and healing experience.<\/p>\n

Here are six\u00a0signs being single is a good fit for you for the time being:<\/p>\n

1. You Just Got Out of a Relationship<\/h2>\n

Take time to regroup. Jumping from one relationship into another may distract you from processing and grieving<\/a> your recent loss. Whether you initiated the breakup<\/a> or not, you will likely benefit from some form of healing. Give yourself the space to think about the meaning and lessons of your last relationship. You can come to conclusions about what you like or need (and what you don\u2019t) in a partner, or discover, for example, you really care more about religion<\/a>, intimacy<\/a>, common interests, etc., than you had realized. This is the time to create an empowering message about why going through this experience was ultimately for the best.<\/p>\n

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2. You Need to Focus on Healing<\/h2>\n

After a breakup, family crisis<\/a>, medical scare<\/a>, or major life transition<\/a>, people often need time to heal and focus on themselves. Being single allows you the luxury of focusing on yourself. If it makes you feel good to run three times a week, do it. If you\u2019ve been meaning to do a class or try therapy<\/a>, now you have the time. If you\u2019ve been wanting to eat healthier, now you can focus on that. It\u2019s an ideal time to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually.<\/p>\n

3. You Need to Work on Being More Independent<\/h2>\n

Sometimes in a relationship, it can be easy to develop dependence<\/a> on the other person. Maybe you feel like you don\u2019t know how to cook for yourself. Maybe you have no idea how to manage your money. Maybe you worry<\/a> about who will fix your car when it breaks down or who will pick you up from the station\u00a0if you need a ride. Developing self-sufficiency skills will prove to be helpful in future relationships, should you pursue them, because you\u2019ll be choosing<\/em> to be with the person rather than needing<\/em> to be.<\/p>\n

4. You Want to Be \u2018Free\u2019<\/h2>\n

If you have an itch for adventure and do not wish to be burdened by obligations, choosing to be single for a while might be best. If you have a desire for freedom, it\u2019s a great idea to act on that before more obligations (financial, family, etc.) bog you down. If you\u2019ve always wanted to travel to India, figure out a way to make that happen. Some people, especially in their late teens and early 20s, have more of an urge for independence than others. If the thought of being in a serious relationship or marriage feels entrapping for you, allow yourself some time to be free of commitments<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. You Want to Put Your Time and Energy into Life Goals<\/h2>\n

You may have a hard time working on multiple goals at the same time, so focusing on one at a time may work better for you. Do you want to just focus on graduate school right now? Do you want to put all your time and energy into your work and try to get ahead? If working on a big life goal feels like a priority, give it all you\u2019ve got and focus on dating later.<\/p>\n

6. You Want to Get Married<\/h2>\n

You may be asking yourself, \u201cHow is being single going to help me get married?\u201d Bear with me here. Many people waste time in dead-end relationships, believing \u201cwhen someone better comes along, I\u2019ll end this relationship.\u201d That\u2019s not generally how it works. If you\u2019re not happy<\/a>, everything you\u2019re investing in who you are with now\u00a0is taking away from the investment you could be making in developing yourself into a great catch or meeting new people. If marriage is your goal and you\u2019re not feeling it with your current partner, then your time may be best spent on self-improvement, increasing insight, developing emotional self-regulation, and boosting your self-esteem<\/a>. Being single also helps you re-set for a potential spouse. Think about what values and virtues are important for you, what you want from your life, and qualities you desire in a partner.<\/p>\n

Being single can help you focus on much-needed self-care<\/a> or allow the freedom to pursue life goals or interests. It can also give you the space to define what you want (or don\u2019t want) from relationships. Being single doesn’t mean being a failure. It\u2019s a choice that paves the way for better choices both now and in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although societal pressures can make single people feel like outcasts, there are perfectly good reasons the single life might be right for an individual.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2778,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[31,540,395,25,41],"class_list":["post-31885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-psychotherapy-practice","tag-breakup","tag-divorce","tag-psychotherapy-issues","tag-marriage-counseling-relationships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2778"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31885\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}