Being single can be a tough struggle at times. Every day we are bombarded left and right with social media posts about people we know, and sometimes people we don’t know, that are happy and in relationships. Seeing these posts can make you happy for those people, but it can also make you feel as though you are missing out. You start to want what these people have. You want that happiness and someone to share it with. Don’t ever be ashamed of that. We are only human, and it is part of our nature to want to be loved.
You will find your knight in shining armor, but the first step to doing that is learning to love yourself. Being single is like being in a relationship with yourself. If you find yourself constantly criticizing yourself stop and think about what you would tell someone you love if you were to hear them say the negative things to themselves that you say to yourself. You can’t learn to love another person before you even learn to love yourself. Don’t waste your time crying over ice cream and watching romantic comedies wishing you were that girl in the movie. Do something nice for yourself. Do something for yourself that you would for someone you were in a relationship with. Step out of your comfort zone and do something by yourself that you normal wouldn’t do alone. For example, treat yourself to dinner and a movie.
Society teaches us living on our own is a sad and depressing way to live. But how will you ever really get to know yourself and decide what you truly want in life if you constantly have someone holding your hand along the way? It is not sad or depressing to do things on your own. It is a very insightful way to get to know yourself.
The journey to loving yourself will be hard. There will be bumps along the way, but you will get there eventually. Once you do you will realize how much of an eye-opener the journey really was. Give yourself the love you would give a significant other because that is the love you deserve. Teach yourself to only accept the love you deserve and don’t ever settle for less.
Photo courtesy of Aziz Acharki via Unsplash.