The best things about being single

We’re not suggesting that this isn’t your year to find Mr. Right (in fact we hope it is), but to make sure you don’t settle for Mr. Wrong, you need to be OK with flying solo. To help you in that department, we put together a few simple strategies for being OK with your single status.

We asked Robin H-C, life coach and author of Thinking Your Way to Happy, to give us some tips on embracing your single status and not settling for someone who isn’t right for you.

Focus on having fun

When you’re single, all of your time is yours, H-C says. You can go wherever you want without worrying about what someone else wants to do and have fun doing the things you love to do. “Schedule a spa day with your sister and girlfriends. Bake cookies in your pajamas.” The solo opportunities really are endless, so enjoy yourself!

Know that not every couple is happy

When you’re single, it can sometimes seem as if everywhere you look another happy couple is walking by holding hands, but not every couple is happy. “The fact is, relationships are just like life. There are moments when they’re amazing and utterly fulfilling and other moments when challenges arise and you wonder what the point is,” H-C says. “It’s easy to miss what you don’t have, but remember to keep in mind that for every happy couple you see at the mall, there is the equivalent number of unhappy partnerships.”

Remember you’re waiting for the right person

If you’re single, chances are it’s because you chose to find someone ideal for you and you’re not willing to settle. “Congratulate yourself for this,” H-C says, adding that the average person will choose ‘almost right’ over being alone. But is average what you want? Instead of settling for someone who’s just OK, you have the chance to find someone great. Being single means you’re ready and available when you do meet that charming guy that could be a perfect match.

Enjoy life without resistance

It’s human nature to want the opposite of what you have, H-C says. Single people want a relationship, but many people in relationships long for their freedom. But when you want what you don’t have, things get stressful. “Embrace the experience of being single. Date, flirt, explore all you suitors and learn to savor the process of meeting and connecting with different people.”

Work on yourself

Being in a relationship takes up a lot of your time. Use your solo status to work on yourself. “Enjoy life and keep focusing on you and who you want to be as a person,” says H-C. “Use this time to develop and grow and become the most interesting version of yourself.” Take an art class, volunteer, travel or learn to speak Spanish – whatever you’ve always wanted to do. It’s you time!

More about love and dating

5 Dating resolutions for the New Year
Flirting tips we can learn from the boys
Make it easier to find Mr. Right