As a single woman, you know that family gatherings and holiday parties will mean one thing: getting questioned about your single status. From questions like, “are you dating anyone,” to “why do you think you’re still single,” being single during the holidays can feel stressful. But, it doesn’t have to be!
While it’s easy to let family and friends get into our heads, you can’t let other people make you feel bad about being single.
Although the holidays is a common source of singlehood stress, one of the most stressful events for single women is usually weddings. Instead of being seated at a table with other singles, women are often seated at a table with couples and married people.
What’s worse is that the conversations at these tables are often centered around the couple’s lives, marriage, and having kids. These conversations alienate single wedding attendees and this coupled with questions about where your husband is can easily make a woman feel less than.
The Single Stigma
Unfortunately, the word “single” has a negative connotation that puts a stigma on husbandless women. People wrongly see you being single as a sign that something is wrong with you or that your problems keep you from holding on to a man for an extended period of time.
Many people wrongly think that if you’re single, it’s for a reason. When many of the people you know are married and having their second or third child, it’s easy for people to speculate on why you haven’t achieved this for yourself.
The truth is, being single is actually a great thing! You shouldn’t see your single status as a negative thing because being in the wrong relationship is what’s bad. Dealing with unnecessary drama and heartache just so you can say you have a man is what you should be afraid of, not being single.
It’s okay if you don’t want to be unhappily married. It’s okay if you want to hold out and wait for the right man to come along. It’s okay to not get swept up in wedding fever and look to the next man who asks you out to be your husband. It’s okay to happily live your life until you run into Mr. Right.
Why Single Shouldn’t Be Stigmatized
Being single is really a positive thing if you approach it the right way and are in the right mental place. Being single means you’re giving yourself the chance to meet a man who is right for you. Being single means you are not going to enter a relationship with a jerk or a controlling and abusive man just so you can feel some sort of fulfillment in the fact that you have someone.
Being single means you are finding, and loving who you really are. Being single means you know how to enjoy your life with or without a significant other. Being single means you know you are a whole woman who doesn’t need a man to complete her, just to complement who she is.
Being single gives you an opportunity to explore yourself and your core values. It allows you to learn more about yourself on a deeper level in a way that gives you a clearer vision of what type of person would best suit you. Being single allows you to see what your priorities in life really are. Being single gives you the objectivity you need to see men more realistically, that is, if you allow yourself to.
Redefine Your Singlehood
All this only happens if you open yourself up to it. If you’re stubborn and stuck in your ways while you’re single, you won’t have that positive growth that will bring you closer to finding the right man for you.
You need to reflect on your past experiences, consider your emotional needs, and identify those qualities that you know won’t help you cultivate a healthy, loving relationship. In doing these things, you will also be more clearly defining the type of man you actually need as opposed to the ones that you want.
Most importantly, you need to live your life and achieve happiness for yourself when you’re single. By doing this you’ll actually put yourself in a much better position to attract and keep the man of your dreams.
For more great dating advice, get my book: Picking up the Pieces: Rebuilding Yourself for the Love and Relationship You Deserve.
Tune in next week when I discuss 20 ways to be single and happy during the holidays and every other day of your life!
Till Next Time,
Dee
Dee's Dating Diary 