February 13 (or 14, or 15, depending on who you ask) is Singles Awareness Day. But while the acronym may be SAD, singles don’t need to be. “Though our society sometimes seems consumed by coupling up, there are many advantages to being single,” says NYC psychotherapist Jennifer Howard, Ph.D., host of the radio talk show A Conscious Life.
What’s so great about being single, exactly? Listen up:
1. It’s becoming the new norm. The marriage rate in America has dropped drastically in recent years. Barely half of U.S. adults are married, which is a record low. According to the U.S. Census, 44.1 percent of all American adults –103 million people — are now single. So you’re in good company.
2. Singles get better sleep. They say sleep is the new sex, and research shows that single people get better sleep than their married counterparts. One study found that people who were intensely in love reported getting almost an hour less of sleep on average than those who weren’t in love. Another survey found that one in four people in a relationship wish they could sleep alone. Sleep solo? Lucky you!
3. Singles gain less weight. After couples tie the knot, they may experience more sickness than health — at least when it comes to their weight. One study found that women tend to gain more weight in their 20s and early 30s if they get married — and they gain even more weight if they get married and have children. And according to another study, people who are married are twice as likely to be obese than people who are single. Gulp!
4. Singles exercise more. Is your gym full of fit singles? There’s a good reason. One poll found that married people were far less likely to exercise than single people or divorcées. Without the responsibilities that come with marriage and kids, single people have way more time and energy to devote to workouts.
5. Singles can get jobs more easily. According to recent reports, single men and women are more likely to find work than married people. Why? Because they’re more flexible. They tend to be open to all types of employment and salary ranges, since they have no one to support but themselves.
6. Singles have better social lives. Single people are more attentive to their siblings, parents, friends and neighbors than married people, found a recent study. Because singles don’t have to focus on a spouse, they can put more focus on the other people in their life. Spread the love!
