Are you freaking out about being single at 40? Or worse, are you feeling guilty because your friends and family are talking about failure? Stop it right now, because we’ve given you 40 reasons to be single at 40 and feel good about it.
Your career is well established, you’ve worked on yourself and you finally feel balanced. Full of courage in the face of life, you face up to its difficulties and enjoy the good times. The only downside: you’re single. Well, here are 40 reasons to convince you that being single at 40 can be an asset.
1 – Zero obligations
Wake up late, eat what you want, sleep without being disturbed… It’s possible! You’re free to do as you please. As a single person, you’re free to do what you want, when you want, without having to answer to anyone else. No one can tell you what to do, when to do it or not to like what you’re doing, because it’s none of their business. There’s something very liberating about that. If long-term singles took their freedom for granted, you’ll enjoy it even more when you’re newly single.
2 – Spend your money as you see fit
Here again, you decide what to do with your money. If you want to go on a crazy spending spree, no problem. Ditto for going away every weekend and treating yourself. No need to ask permission or see if it fits in with your family or partner’s budget. Just think of yourself!
3 – Manage your own schedule
Do you want to pursue a career that requires you to put in long hours, do tons of traveling or move to another country? Yes, you can absolutely do these things if you’re in a relationship, but it’s much easier if you’re traveling solo. Many people turn down or put opportunities on hold for relationships and regret them later when they don’t have a new opportunity or their lives no longer allow it. Here, it’s finally possible.
4 – Solo travel is incredible
No more headaches about finding a destination that will please both parties! You’ll finally be able to explore the places you’ve always dreamed of, without your partner disliking it. Why deprive yourself?
5 – You’ll meet lots of new people
It’s easy to expand your social circle when there’s nothing holding you back. You might even enjoy it. Meeting people through dating is a whole new world, and depending on your state of mind, it’s downright awesome.
6 – Create the room of your dreams
The heart of your home… The place where you need to be cocooned. You can finally do whatever you want and make your bedroom your own. You determine the temperature, the type of cover, the degree of darkness, the side you want to sleep on and the time you wake up in the morning. There’s no snoring, dragging, sneezing, coughing or early morning trips to the bathroom to disturb your sleep. The dream…
7 – Make the most of your free time
Finally 5 minutes to yourself and no need to wonder what there is to do. You can think to yourself and enjoy these few moments of relaxation to the full. No need to argue with the other person, wonder what he/she wants or think about what to organize. Just you.
8 – Your concentration is improved
Falling in love can literally change your brain. When you love someone, critical decision-making centers in your brain become less active. Combined with the increase in dopamine and other “feel good” chemicals, people who are madly in love can act blindly when it comes to their partners and make irrational decisions.
By being single, you can think more clearly and rationally in order to make important life decisions. In other words, when you’re single, you know you’re probably making the decisions that are best for you, which can lead to a happier life overall.
9 – You can devote time to getting back into shape
When you’re in a relationship, it’s sometimes difficult to follow a slimming program or tone up with exercise. Being a couple can lead to a certain amount of self-neglect. When you’re not part of a couple, it’s easier to skip unhealthy meals that don’t help you reach your goals and prioritize healthier behaviors.
10 – Design your own happiness
When you ask most people what their biggest goal in life is, they’ll tell you it’s to be happy. Being single makes it easier to achieve this goal. It’s better to be alone than badly accompanied, as they say. To think that being single at 40 is a failure is heresy.
11 – Be spontaneous
You’re free to move around, so if you want to go away for the weekend or to the other side of the world on a whim, it’s possible! Are you invited out for a drink at the last minute? That’s possible too. There’s nothing better than taking advantage of a unique opportunity to make yourself grateful for being single and free.
12 – You don’t have to worry about other people’s families.
No blended families, no kids in the way. Just you.
13 – Spend more time with your friends
Another important element that can have benefits, but it’s best to have time to focus on your friends who know you well. After all, relationships may come and go, but your long-time friends will always be there for you.
14 – You’re less likely to get sick
Yes, when you share everything, you share everything, even germs! When your partner comes home with a nasty cold, it’s hard to escape! By being single, you expose yourself to less contact with those nasty germs that would nail you to the bed.
15 – You can take advantage of solo offers
We sometimes wait ages for two tickets, but there’s always a solo ticket available somewhere: at the restaurant, the theater, the cinema, etc. You’ll finally be able to take advantage of the offers that interest you.
16 – Enjoy variety
Part of the joy of being single is that you don’t have to rely on the same person to meet all your needs. Being single means you can have the person you have long conversations with, a conversation you dance with, a person you do fine dining with, a person you travel with, … Vary!
17 – You finally love each other
By the time you reach 40, the days of being uncomfortable in your own skin are over. You know and accept yourself in your forties and are comfortable with your style, without trying to imitate what the media tells you you should look like.
18 – No relationship problems to deal with
This is a very good reason why being single in your forties is great. Contrary to popular belief, research indicates that singles who try to avoid conflict are just as happy (or happier) than those who are in a relationship. The truth is that every couple experiences relationship problems at one time or another, but if you’re single, you don’t have to face the drama.
19 – You have time to concentrate on a Passion project
Your twenties and thirties were all about validation and what society thought should be done. From parenthood to career, your true passion may well have been put on the back burner. When you reach the age of 40, you realize that this is the decade to quit that corporate job and open a juice bar or take a side job decorating homes.
20 – Explore your spirituality without judgment
At 40, we’re looking for a deeper meaning to our lives than just fulfilling ourselves professionally and building a family. Being single in your forties gives you the time to explore this path in complete freedom, to discover your inner “you” and project yourself into life.
Next week, we’ll give you 20 more reasons to enjoy being single in your 40s. It’s a great way to lift your spirits after all those mid-life setbacks we’ve already talked about…
