It’s that time of year again: Valentine’s Day. The time of year where it seems like everyone is in love…except you. This can be a tough time to be single. Maybe you gag at the sight of heart-shaped chocolate boxes, switch the station any time a cheesy love song comes on or avoid seeing all the happy couples on Instagram. I get it, it can be nauseating.
But fear not: there are lots of plus sides to being single! I recently got out of a long term relationship, and it’s hard being lonely at first. You miss the constant attention and affection that your partner was giving you. But as time went on, I realized that there are a lot of perks to being on my own!
Here are some of those perks:
1. All of my time is mine
Now that I’m on my own, I can do whatever I want! I don’t have to pretend to enjoy going out to dinner with his coworkers. I can hang out with my friends at any moment. I don’t have to tell anyone where I’m going. And let’s face it—we’ve all had that moment where we stay home from something fun because they gave us the puppy dog eyes.
I used to convince myself that I’d rather be home watching him play video games than go out to dinner with my girls. I thought that as long as I was with him, I was happy. But after I took off the rose-colored glasses, I realized I missed out on a lot of fun opportunities with my best friends. So now that I make my own decisions, I do whatever I want!
2. I can spend my money on whatever I want
Relationships are expensive. Paying for dates, gifts and food may seem like nothing at the time, but it was really draining my bank account. And since I was the one that was working more, I always paid to take the burden off of him. Now that I’m single, all my money is for me! If I want to splurge and get a new outfit, or get guac on my Chipotle bowl, I can do it! And no one will judge me when I decide I definitely need another pair of nude heels. That’s my business.
3. I don’t have to share anything
And I mean anything. I can spread out across the entire bed. I can eat an entire pint of ice cream by myself. I can keep all of my thoughts and feelings in my own head. And did I mention no one will steal all of my food without asking?? Seriously… it’s annoying. Don’t touch my Oreos.
4. I get to spend more time with my family
When I first became single, my family was immediately at my side, and they’ve been there ever since. Now that I’m on my own, I can spend as much time with them as I want. My dad and I can watch football games together, my mom and I can go shopping and my sister and I can go to the movie. And best of all, there’s no fighting over whose family to go to for the holidays. If I had to spend another Christmas with his mom, there wouldn’t have been enough egg nog to get me through alive.
5. I’m not scared of the future
When I was in a relationship, I was constantly pressured to be following a certain timeline. When are we going to move in together? When are we going to get married? When are we going to have kids? It was exhausting. On top of that, I was worried about whether or not he was even the right person for me. Did I see myself with him for the rest of my life? Luckily now, I don’t have any of those worries. My future is my own. I get to choose the path I take, and I can choose the pace that I’m comfortable with. There’s no more pressure; I just get to be me.
So whether you’re newly single or have been for a long time, just know that you are worth so much more than a man’s approval. Your future is in your own hands and you get to choose your own path. You have no one to worry about or tend to. So enjoy being single! And yes, it’s okay to eat that whole pint of ice cream just because you want to.