How Learning to Enjoy Being Single Can Make You Happier
Enjoy more freedom and peace of mind.
“I hate being single.”
As a single guy, I hear that from—well—a lot of people. For many, not having a relationship or an active dating life makes them feel depressed, frustrated, and lonely.
But after stretches of being single and years of solo travel (including my current journey of 18 months and counting), I’ve learned how to be comfortable and — dare I say — happy being single and traveling alone, despite many telling me they’d be terrified in my shoes.
Here are the powerful benefits of being comfortable alone and how you can build this skill yourself for more peace of mind and contentment:
If You Can’t Be Happy Single, You Can’t Be Happy in a Relationship
If you need to be with others to feel content, you’ll try to seek happiness from things outside of you — things which you have absolutely no control over. It also means you need others for your happiness, which forces you to cling and do things you normally wouldn’t do.
This problem has big consequences. For example, a study found that the fear of being single strongly predicts “settling for less” in relationships. In this…
