How to Find Happiness While Single

The better your personal relationships, the happier you’re likely to be. That said, being in a relationship isn’t always the only answer to happiness.

Relationships are sometimes a “grass is greener on the other” side situation. Many single people long for someone to call their own, while others in relationships wish the opposite.

It’s not always as clear-cut as that, however. It really just depends on the person. In truth, you’re unlikely to have a successful relationship until you first love yourself as a person. While you’re single, here are five easy steps you can take to improve your happiness.

Concentrate on Your Career

There’s no denying that a good relationship can improve your happiness. In fact, one study finds that we place most of the blame for our misery on failed relationships and physical or mental illness, as opposed to problems with money.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be single and happy.

It pays to get your money and career in order before entering a serious relationship. Building your sense of self-worth and accomplishment can give you more confidence, helping you be single and happy. In turn, that confidence will help with your relationships down the road.

After all, the researcher who led the study told The Guardian that in some ways, being in a relationship is as good for you as unemployment is bad.

Create a Healthy Lifestyle

Just as concentrating on your career and finances can help improve self-confidence, so can creating a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise is a key component to a healthy lifestyle, but it’s by no means the only one. Regular physical activity has many benefits of course, one of the most basic being that it makes you feel good about yourself. Or at least better than if you would if you instead opted for a night filled with Netflix and snacks.

The other key component to a healthy lifestyle, however, is eating healthy. At first glance, this sounds like a tedious chore, but getting in the habit of learning and executing new healthy recipes can go a long way toward making you happy.

That’s not to say you have to comply with a strict diet for every meal of the day. Nevertheless, eating healthy will make you feel better about yourself, and you’ll learn a number of new recipes along the way.

Focus on Other Relationships

One common, if unintended, drawback of being in a serious relationship is that it can negatively affect your relationships with other people. It makes sense — there isn’t always time to deal with others when you’re concentrating on your own relationship.

With that being the case, this is a great time to focus on and improve the many other relationships in your life, whether it’s friends, family or even co-workers. If anything, remaining social with the others in your life will help keep your communications skills in top condition, while also giving you the happiness of knowing that you’re important in the lives of others.

There are many loved ones in your life who can help you cultivate happiness while single!

Try Something New

Those in relationships know how easy it is to fall into a regular routine, whether it’s what you make for dinner each week or how often you go see a movie. There’s something comforting about knowing and meeting set expectations.

While this isn’t just a tip for single people, trying new and unique activities is certainly easier to do when you’re on your own. Maybe you’ll take that dance class your partner never wanted to take, or perhaps try a particular restaurant you never got around to visiting together.

It may sound simple, but being single is an opportunity to make every decision for yourself. So use those decisions to broaden your horizons.

Finding Happiness While Single

While in a relationship, you mood affects your partner’s, and vice-versa. When you’re single, you’re allowed to feel however you want to feel, without any immediate impact on a significant other.

Be mad at the guy at work. Be overly sad about the latest TV drama you’re watching. Be sentimental over an emotional and inspiring piece of writing. In the end, your emotions are a big part of what define you as a person. So allow yourself to be you.

Your relationship with yourself is the most important one you’ll ever have. Perhaps being single doesn’t seem like the ideal situation for you. Nevertheless, applying these tips to your day-to-day life will go a long way toward helping you choose happiness while single.