Being single does not mean you are bad at relationships. In fact, research shows people are staying single for longer and settling down older, and some are choosing to be that way forever.
Singledom shouldn't be regarded as anything to be pitied — it should be embraced. Especially as there are numerous mental and physical benefits to being on your own.
There's also a big difference between loneliness and solitude, and one doesn't necessarily correspond to the other.
Psychotherapist Anna Jackson told Insider that a lot of people accidentally end up defining themselves and their self-worth by their romantic relationships.
But in reality, it's the growth they do outside of having a partner that ends up mattering the most, because bouncing from one bad relationship to another means you end up "settling for less out of fear of being single."
Bonnie Scott, therapist and founder of Mindful Kindness Counseling, told Insider that singletons make all their own decisions, which leads to more freedom and a better ability to balance responsibilities.
"On many levels, there's mental health benefits of feeling free to drive your life. It's empowering," she said. "And in many ways, a much more straightforward way to live than people who are not single."
So here are seven science-backed reasons being a singleton can actually be better for you.