Are you happier single or coupled up? A lot of it depends on the person. It really seems to be that there are two different kinds of people, the ones who default toward a relationship and the ones who default toward being single. Most people will do both for long periods at some point in their life, but feel more comfortable in one or the other. And while they both have their pros and cons, there are some undeniable benefits of being single, and it's not all getting to control the remote yourself and getting to sprawl in the bed whenever you feel like it (although that's worth at least a billion points to single).
Studies have shown some interesting perks to being single. Personally, I maintain that everyone should be able to eat a family-sized bag of Doritos in their underwear whenever they please, and if that's not allowed in a relationship than being single is definitely the only option. OK, so that may not be the case for you (only if you don't care about happiness). But for those of you that are less convinced take a look at all the great things about being on your own, from employment to exercise. Here are seven unexpected benefits of being on your own:
1.You're Better At Socializing
When you're not super focused on one person, you invest way more time into an array of people and social activities. A study by Erin Cornwell, a sociologist at Cornell, found that single people "are much more likely to spend time with friends and neighbors, volunteer, attend art classes, and do other social activity", according to Forbes. So we are more there for a friends and give back to the community. Win win.
2. You Pick Better Partners
Slightly counterintuitive, I know, but I firmly believe that people who are good at being single pick better people to be in relationships with. The thing is, if you know that you're OK on your own and are having a great time, it take someone who you really like to shake you out of that. If you're not good at being single— if you don't let yourself be single long enough to find out it's not scary and to know what you want— you're more likely to go with the first person who come along rather than someone who's right for you.
3. You Have Awesome Sex
Just maybe less often. Sure when you're in a relationship you have some more opportunities to prefect your technique, but according to Pyschology Today "statistics show that singles have a better time in the bedroom, though intimacy occurs only about half as frequently. Hormone levels are higher in a 'courting relationship.'" Plus, you have more time to masturbate, and really get a handle on what you're into, which is great for your sex life.
4. You're Better With Money (And Don't Need To Answer To Anyone)
Two major financial benefits to singledom. You learn to be grownup with your money and to sort out your own bills because, well, none else is going to do it for you. Plus, your money is yours. You don't need to groan if someone blows a bundle on something silly when you're supposed to be saving, but you also can go and TREAT YO SELF if you want to, because you have no one to answer to!
6. You Do More Exciting Things With Your Time
What do you do as a couple? Well, according to Medical Daily, "Thirty percent of couples pointed to staying in and watching television as their main activity together. Another 20 percent marked eating out at restaurants as the couple’s bonding activity." That's 50 percent of respondents giving pretty humdrum responses, but they're things that are easy to as a pair and can be the foundation for a major life rut. Single people can throw themselves into things that actually excite them.
7. You Have A Better Work Life
So not only are singles getting hired a lot more than married people, you are also less likely to put up with awful working conditions when you're single. And you also work less, especially if you're a man. YourTango says that according to "Match.com's third annual Singles In America Single study, married people work more overtime than single people (33 percent vs. 26 percent). In particular, 43 percent of married men work over 40 hours in a week compared to 29 percent of single men and 24 percent of single women." Yikes.
Want more of Bustle's Sex and Relationships coverage? Check out our new podcast, I Want It That Way, which delves into the difficult and downright dirty parts of a relationship, and find more on our Soundcloud page.
