For many, prolonged singlehood as an adult is a deeply heartbreaking experience. It goes beyond the awkward, if well-meaning, comments others make about your relationship status, not having a date for a holiday or an event, or general loneliness.
Sleeping Alone.
Many of you noted that having no one to fall asleep next to, or wake up next to is the hardest part of being single. It's completely normal to have that longing for intimacy and to even find yourself imagining what that might look like when you find yourself feeling alone.
This might come as a shock, but research has shown that 54% of people who stay single for a long time end up with health issues that later affect their love life. The most common health issues associated with extended single good include suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Being single can feel lonely at times, and loneliness isn't always easy to manage. A first key step to combat feeling lonely is to first take a few deep, slow breaths, resist any urge to panic, so you can turn on your thinking brain.
There's a common misconception that older singles are the least happy with their relationship status. But actually, MacDonald's research suggests that starting around age 40, singletons become more satisfied with their solo lives.
Of course. Plenty of introverts are in happy relationships. But an introvert is not going to force a relationship just for the sake of not being alone. Introverts have limited energy reserves for people, and want their interactions with others — whether dating-wise or otherwise — to be meaningful.
How you feel about being single can be influenced by a variety of factors, including: Stereotypes portraying single people as sad, lonely, insecure, and less satisfied. Social pressure to find a partner and start a family. Perceptions of single status as a source of individualism and independence.
Be spontaneous.
Being single does come with a great amount of freedom. As such, "enjoy being more spontaneous with your activities and travel," Spinelli says. "You can truly just choose where you want to go or what you want to do as an individual.
That is why Paul makes comments like these: it is good for a person to remain as he is [i.e., single] (1 Cor. 7:26); do not seek a wife (1 Cor. 7:27); and, he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better (1 Cor. 7:38).
"There is absolutely no set time frame that counts as 'too long' for being single," says Megan Stubbs, EdD, a sexologist and relationship expert based in Michigan. Part of the reason why is because there's no set definition as what "being single" actually looks like.
We took a look at data gathered over the past year, comprised of more than 700,000 screenings, and noticed an interesting trend: people who selected “single” as their partnership status scored more highly consistent for symptoms of depression, than their counterparts.
The youngest and oldest Americans are the most likely to be single – 41% of those ages 18 to 29 and 36% of those 65 and older say they are single, compared with 23% of those 30 to 49 and 28% of those 50 to 64. These age differences bely huge differences by gender.
If it is common, it is normal. To be single is utterly ordinary, more so now than any time in recent history, not just in the U.S. but in many places around the world. In the U.S., for example, nearly as many adults 18 and older are unmarried as married.
That survey found 30% of the U.S. adults surveyed to be single, which was defined as not being married, not living with a partner, and not being in a committed romantic relationship.
They are simply not interested in being in a serious relationship at this time in their life. Others are single due to the circumstances of their lives. They may have just gotten out of a meaningful relationship or have dated relentlessly and just haven't found someone with whom they're truly compatible.
Society believes that if you are not part of such a unit, you are probably incomplete, antisocial, and perhaps even dangerous. In turn, singles are made to feel less worthy. This is a major source of frustration and confusion for single people, young and old.
But overall, being single in your 30s can be an empowering experience that allows you to focus on yourself and your own needs. So if you're feeling pressure to settle down, don't worry – being single in your 30s is a perfectly valid choice.
You may have been single a long time for various reasons. Maybe you struggled with unresolved feelings after a difficult break-up, suffered from damaged self-esteem, or maybe you're simply too busy with work, friendships, and everything else that takes up time.
It is most certainly okay to be single at any time in your life, including your 40s! If you're single in your 40s, know that you're not alone.
Breakups are hard for everyone, introvert or extrovert. But if you're an introvert, your breakup experience might be even worse than others' — simply because of who you are, how you view relationships, and how you process your emotions.
“Being alone helps you become more comfortable in your own skin,” Morins tells Forbes. “When you're by yourself, you can make choices without outside influences. And that will help you develop more insight into who you are as a person.” Holding this degree of self-awareness and resilience is key to a happier life.
Introverts are not the type to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Instead, we often have our guard up, and it can take a lot of one-on-one time for us to finally let down those walls. This can make dating difficult, especially when the other person wants to know more than we're willing to share.