7 surprising benefits of being single (and how to enjoy it)

Relationships

May 28

Written By Calm Editorial Team

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA

It's time to ditch the idea that being single means being lonely — it can be so much more. Explore 7 benefits of being single and how to enjoy solo life on your own terms.

In a world filled to the brim with love songs, romcoms, romance novels, and (too much?) PDA on social media, it’s easy to feel like being in a couple is better than being single. Or that finding your person is the ultimate, and only, goal.

If you’ve ever told someone you’re single only for them to respond with some variation of, “Don’t worry, you’ll find your person,” then you know how annoying and belittling it can feel. No matter how much joy you might have in your single life, society's assumption that you’ll only be fulfilled once you find a partner can feel daunting and even insulting.

Here’s the truth: Being single isn’t a problem to solve, and many people live their best lives without a significant other. Not only can you find immense personal fulfillment in flying solo, but it can also be rewarding when you have more time to focus on your happiness and mental wellbeing.

So, whether you’re happily single or dating and looking, let’s explore the joys of singledom. Here’s how you can enjoy your single experience to its fullest potential.

7 benefits of being single

While many people feel like being in a couple is the ultimate goal, the truth is that being single is an incredibly real and vivid way to live. Sure, it might not always be blissful (just like anyone’s life), but it has many meaningful facets. Here are seven of those fun perks:

1. You get to know yourself more deeply: When you’re not constantly navigating someone else’s preferences, needs, and moods, your inner voice can get clearer. You may start to notice what energizes you and build a stronger connection with yourself.

2. You have full autonomy over your time: Single life gives you an almost radical amount of control over how you spend your time. This can be pretty great in a world where most people are overbooked and emotionally overextended.

3. You make decisions based on your needs, not someone else’s comfort: Singlehood allows you to move through life without the added mental calculus of managing someone else’s reactions. You can listen to your gut without having to explain it. That kind of clarity can be deeply healing.

4. Friendships deepen: Being single often opens up more time and emotional bandwidth to invest in platonic relationships. These friendships can be just as intimate and supportive as any romantic bond. In fact, they’re often more consistent.

5. You may experience less emotional volatility: Romantic relationships can bring incredible highs but can also come with just as many lows. On the flip side, singlehood may bring more stability. There are likely fewer arguments and fewer emotional curveballs.

6. You can prioritize your growth: Without the emotional labor of maintaining a relationship, you can find yourself with more space to focus on your own development. That could mean therapy, a new creative hobby, or tackling burnout.

7. Your mental space expands: Relationships, even healthy ones, come with cognitive load. There are more birthdays to remember and more slack to pick up. But when you’re single, much of that mental bandwidth is freed up. This means you can have more focus and more creativity.

How to enjoy being single: 10 ways to embrace the solo life

Many people think that in order to enjoy being single, you have to love every second of being alone, but that’s not necessarily the case. There will always be lonely moments in anyone’s life, just as there will be moments that feel chock-full of connection.

Enjoying singledom is more about learning how to create a meaningful and fulfilling life, regardless of your relationship status. Here are 10 ways to live a fuller single life.

1. Reframe your alone time

Solitude is often painted as something to avoid, but time alone can be deeply nourishing. Take it as an opportunity to treat yourself. Maybe that means you take walks without your phone, cook a fancy dinner, or have some “me time” with a hot bath, cozy pajamas, and a seven-step skincare routine.

The more you treat your solo time like it matters, the more it will.

💙 Let The Stay Vibrant Series be the uplifting background track to your next solo date.

2. Craft rituals that are just for you

Small routines can bring a surprising sense of comfort and identity. This might mean creating some grounding everyday rituals like pouring your morning beverage into your favorite mug, journaling for five minutes before bed, or having Friday nights become your takeout and a movie night.

(Here are seven tips to help you start journaling if you’ve never done it before.)

3. Build and nurture your chosen family

Invest in relationships that feel reciprocal, loving, and energizing, like your closest friends and family. Take time to deepen your friendships and reconnect with siblings. Consider setting up recurring friend dates, weekly walks, or monthly potlucks with your loved ones to strengthen your bonds.

If you live away from friends and family, focus on building connections through shared interests, such as hobbies or classes in your community.

4. Pursue joy without a productivity agenda

It’s easy to fall into the trap of using free time to be more productive and further your career. But having more space when you’re single can also allow you to follow your curiosity and invest time and energy into your passions.

This is the perfect time to try those new things you’ve always wanted to explore, like taking a pottery class, volunteering at an animal shelter, or reading that book series everyone’s talking about.

5. Create a home environment that supports you

Your space should reflect you, not who you think you need to be for someone else. Design your home to be a soft place to land at the end of each day. This might mean that your single era is a perfect time to reorganize your furniture, renovate your bathroom, or buy fresh new bedding.

Or you could try adding small comforts, like a “bedtime basket” with tea, a book, and hand lotion.

6. Practice emotional self-regulation

When you’re single, you have more time to build tools to support you when overwhelmed. Take time to learn to sit with your feelings rather than numb them. You could try breathwork, therapy, or mindfulness practices to help regulate your nervous system. So if you find yourself in a relationship in the future, you’ll have better tools for communicating your needs and resolving conflict.

The next time you feel big feelings, consider doing the 5–4–3–2–1 technique by name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.

7. Set boundaries with others

No matter what, there will always be people who think they know what’s best for you, and being single is no exception. To protect your peace, set boundaries with those in your life who try to rush you into dating before you’re ready, or who try to give you advice you’re not asking for.

Try saying, “I’m focused on what feels good for me right now, and I’m not looking for advice or matchmaking.”

(Here are five tips to help you set family boundaries.)

8. Be honest about what you want

If finding a relationship is your goal, there’s nothing wrong with that. Longing for partnership and connection doesn’t mean your single years aren’t meaningful. You contain multitudes and can feel many things at once.

You’re allowed to miss physical intimacy while also relishing your alone time. Let yourself feel those things without turning them into problems to fix. Desire and contentment can coexist.

9. Build solo traditions for special occasions

Holidays, birthdays, and even weekends can feel tricky when socially coded as “couple time.” So, create rituals that make these moments special in your own way. Try planning a solo getaway, treating yourself to a fancy dinner, or writing a letter to your future self on your birthday. You don’t need a partner to nurture you. You can absolutely do it yourself.

10. Get real support when you need it

You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Being single isn’t the same as being alone because you still have people who love and support you. With that said, if your social circle can’t provide you the support you need, it might be a good time to look into getting a therapist, joining a support group, or talking to others in the same boat.

💙 Practice Asking for Help in this session with Jay Shetty.

Benefits of being single FAQs

What are the benefits of being single?

There are many benefits to being single, as it can offer a level of freedom that’s hard to access when you’re constantly attuned to another person’s needs and emotional rhythms. It also gives you a chance to make decisions that are entirely your own and to explore what genuinely brings you joy, without compromise.

Another great thing about being single is having more time to nurture friendships, cultivate new skills, and reconnect with parts of yourself that may have been neglected in past relationships.

Can being single be better for some people?

Being single can be better for many people. If you’re healing from trauma, managing chronic stress or mental health challenges, not being partnered can feel like a much-needed exhale. It also offers a kind of emotional stability that relationships—even healthy ones—sometimes can’t.

Additionally, being single can be incredibly validating for those who don’t fit into traditional relationship norms or timelines. Many people genuinely feel more grounded and content on their own, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

How can I feel less lonely when I’m single?

If you’re feeling lonely, it helps to build intentional connections in small and steady ways.

Strengthening your friendships, joining a community group, and scheduling regular check-ins with loved ones can all help make you feel more connected. It also helps to reframe solitude as a space where you can be fully yourself.

In addition, emotional self-awareness and self-compassion can go a long way toward making alone time feel less like emptiness and more like a sanctuary. Here are five tips to help you practice a little self-kindness.

What are some fun things to do alone?

Many things you enjoy doing with someone else, you can also enjoy on your own. Sometimes it may even feel better.

Some fun activities you could try alone are visiting a museum, going on a long walk with a podcast, or cooking a fancy meal just for yourself. You could also take yourself on dates to bookstores or to the movies.

Your single era is also a great time to pick up a hobby purely for your delight, like painting, baking, or gardening.

Can being single improve mental health?

For many people, not being partnered can improve their mental health. Being single creates more consistent emotional space and a greater ability to prioritize personal wellbeing. You can also focus on routines that support your mental health without navigating the emotional labor of a partnership.

That said, being single doesn’t mean you won’t experience loneliness, anxiety, and depression — you can still experience all of those emotions. But you may be able to better meet those experiences on your own terms, without the added complexity of another person’s emotional terrain.

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Calm Editorial Team