7 science-backed reasons why you may be better off being single (2024)

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Being single gives you the space to think

Jackson said that when she came out of a long-term relationship a couple of years ago she started being able to focus on what she genuinely wanted, without having any "external influence from a partner."

"Just having a sense of freedom, being able to really focus and hone in on what I want and who I want to be," she said.

Taking some time to yourself should be seen as an opportunity to get to know who you really are and what you need.

Due to something called repetition compulsion, if we've been hurt in the past, we can be tempted to rush into new relationships with people who are wrong for us, because we're trying to subconsciously fix the pain.

If you take time being single, you'll find time is a great healer and you'll learn to let go of your past. At the same time, you can explore new places and try new experiences to work out who you are, and what kind of person would be a great match for you.

"I know it's probably going to sound really cheesy, but I'm such a believer of you have to be amazing to attract amazing," Jackson said. "Unless you are amazing, you ain't gonna attract it."

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Single people tend to have more time for physical activity

Single people might be healthier than those coupled up.

According to a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, divorced people get more exercise than married people, but the ones who are the most active are those who have always been single.

In a blog post for Psychology Today, social psychologist Bella DePaulo discussed how women who have always been single are more healthy overall than currently married women, and also have fewer sick days and fewer doctors' visits.

Another study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, showed that single people in nine European countries had a lower BMI than married people, and overall weighed around five pounds less.

Scott said she has found that her single clients tend to have more time for physical activity.

"They are less likely to skip the gym, or they will walk the dog more often, or they will sign up for a salsa class," she said.

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Singles tend to be better at keeping friends

Being single can mean building stronger relationships with friends, which tend to be what matters most when it comes to combating loneliness in the long run.

A study published in the journal Contextsfound that people who had always been single were more attentive to their friends and family than married people.

People in romantic relationships may invest all their time and energy into their partner, but miss out on the "stable base" of having deep friendships that ultimately last the longest, Jackson said.

"The people who bounce from relationship to relationship are putting all of their time just in their partner, so no wonder they feel lonely," she said. "You feel lonely because you've let your friendships go."

Scott said we happen to live in a society that has placed romantic relationships at the top of the hierarchy of connections, but that's just a social construct.

"We can choose the people and relationships that fill our lives without holding to that hierarchy," she said. "A person's relationship with their sister or best friend is not more or less important than a romantic connection and it's unfair that those types of relationships have been devalued for so long."

According to research published in the journal Information, Communication & Society, single people often have a more diverse range of people they consider close friends. They also apparently put in more effort to keep sibling relationships strong.

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They're also sometimes better off financially

Despite reports that single people are hit hardest when it comes to the costs of living, there could be a financial advantage to being single.

According to debt.org, "21% of single people had credit card debt, [compared to] 27% of married couples without children and 36% of married couples with children."

A post on Wealthify also laid out that singletons can better take advantage of not having a partner to consider by taking more risks, and having more time to put into a side hustle.

"If you're single, you probably don't have to spend any money on anyone else — just you," the post reads. "You can keep your hard-earned money for yourself. And if you have plans for the near future, like a well-deserved holiday, you could tuck away some money in a savings account and build a decent nest egg for your future self."

No matter if you have children or not, being part of a couple can be associated with more spending.

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Being single can mean doing better at work because it opens up more opportunities

Scott said being single gives people a little more flexibility, which can make them more available to jump on opportunities.

They can "take a job in a new city, or go to the book club meeting and make new connections, or have the ability to commit to an exciting project at work if they choose," she said. "Single folks make those decisions for themselves without the hesitation of worrying as much about other people being affected."

Single people are also potentially more likely to value meaningful work, according to DePaulo. Not having to worry about maintaining a relationship can mean putting more effort into your career.

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Being alone can be stressful, but so can being with the wrong person

Being single can, of course, be stressful. You might be tired of trying to find the right relationship and sick of the dating scene, or you might be pressured from people around you.

But being with a partner can have its issues as well. Coupled up people have to consider where their relationship is going and whether they have enough power and autonomy in their partnership.

Plenty of people also end up in the wrong relationship out of fear, and sometimes even shame, of being alone.

"There's genuinely nothing more lonely than being with the wrong person," Jackson said.

Being single for a prolonged period, rather than settling for someone who stresses you out, is going to be much more valuable in working out what it is that you want and deserve.

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Singles are more well-adjusted to situations where they need to be independent

Being alone is not the same thing as being lonely. And learning to appreciate alone time is really important for being self-sufficient.

Everyone needs to be independent at some time in their life, and if you've never been alone, you might have a tough time adjusting.

According to studies, the more self-sufficient single people are, the less likely they are to experience negative emotions. But for married people, being self-sufficient is associated with more negative emotions — almost like they resent having to fend for themselves.

Jackson said people should ask themselves whether they are happy being by themselves when they are considering a relationship.

"It's a really good question to ask yourself: am I running into another relationship because I am wanting to protect myself from something?" she said. "Or have I figured out that I'm absolutely fine on my own, but I would like someone to share my life with?"

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Overall, learning to be happy alone is incredibly important

Being alone and being lonely are two very different things. While loneliness is characterized by missing something, or someone, solitude is "an emotion of contentment," Scott said.

"Ideally, solitude and loneliness exist in a balance, so that we have the ability to retreat to ourselves and find rest," she said. "And we can answer the drive of loneliness to go and connect authentically with others."

Jackson said it's vital people learn to be on their own, not only because it teaches them so much, but it means they stop running from whatever it is they are scared of.

"Someone who doesn't want any time alone, that's a problem," she said. "They're running from something, they're scared of something, so there's a massive element of avoidance which drives anxiety."

Getting into the wrong relationship because you want to avoid feeling or thinking too much may protect you in the short term, she said, "but in the long run, you're hurting yourself."