 Hey, Psych2Goers, and welcome back to another video. Before we start, we'd like to give you a huge thanks for all of the love and support that you've given us. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology more accessible to everyone, and you help us do that. Now, let's continue. Hollywood and marketing companies have a lot of people chasing after love like it's a prize, or a status symbol, but what's the big deal with relationships? Do you need a New Year's kiss or a Valentine? Are relationships overrated? Maybe not for everyone, but there definitely are some benefits to being single. Relationships can be wonderful, but being single can too. You don't have to be bitter and lonely. Let's take a look at a few of the benefits of being single. Strengthening bonds. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, something we all want is love and belonging. We want to be loved unconditionally. We want someone who we can talk to about anything, a lot of the time, especially as we get older, that gap seems to become more obvious, and we tend to think that the thing that's missing is romantic love. Because of that, we lose sight of the fact that we can receive love and affection from many sources, not just a romantic partner. A study conducted in 2016 revealed that receiving support from other sources like your friends and family can mitigate feelings of romantic loneliness. In other words, spending time with friends and family can keep that nagging feeling that something is missing away. Your mission to be selfish. A 2013 article published in Politics, Philosophy and Economics titled Can a Compromise Be Fair states that compromises need to occur in relationships, even at the cost of fairness. This means compromises aren't always fair, but they are necessary for a relationship to work. That's good news for single people, of course. Compromises will still come up as you balance work or school, friends and family, but the most stressful and time-consuming compromises come with being in a relationship. You don't need to discuss plans of a significant other. You can just decide on things yourself. You don't need to compromise. Feel like treating yourself to sushi in a movie on a lovely Sunday afternoon? You can! That includes not worrying about the option, needs, or wants that a significant other would have. No worrying that they're not in the mood for sushi or that they don't want to see the movie you picked. It's the one time, aside from your birthday, that you can be a little more selfish than usual. Look within. When you're single and don't have to compromise, you have more time to discover the things that make you you. Whether you like to spend entire days playing video games or watching niche films that make other people squeamish, you can do whatever tickles your fancy when you aren't in a relationship. This also extends to introspection. You have time to look inwards and learn about yourself. You can figure out everything that you need and want in life. You'll also have time to recognize and heal past trauma. When you're in a relationship, your goals need to fit into the relationship, or a compromise needs to be met. You shouldn't have to compromise on your dreams and the things that you're most passionate about. In a thesis written in 2019 titled Seeking Solitude, The Positive Effect of Being Alone, PhD candidate Samantha Voss wrote, Being an uninterrupted silence gets you involved in your own emotions and thoughts. You get to really understand them, create an inward awareness that helps you improve your outward awareness, and that sums it up perfectly. Mental Health Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre has a famous quote that says, If you're lonely when you're alone, you're in bad company. Being in a relationship shouldn't negatively affect your mental health, but it can. This also goes for being single, but when you're single, you can choose that alone time for your mental health whenever you need it. A few studies have been done on the effects of a relationship on your mental health. Clinical psychologist Scott Brathwhite found that improving your relationship can improve your mental health, but improving your mental health won't necessarily improve your relationships. This suggests that if you have mental health issues now, getting into a relationship isn't a way to solve these issues. According to psychologist Adele Forth, there is a possibility that your relationship can lead to trauma if your partner is or becomes abusive. That shouldn't be something you have to worry about. While you're single, take time to appreciate your own company and make sure your mental space is healthy. Use this time to care for yourself. Do a face mask, work out, or watch some trash TV. Treat yourself well. You can always experience romance on your own through a solo date. Unlike Lady Gaga. You don't want a bad romance. Relationships can be wonderful, but if you're waiting for the one not interested in relationships or you've just left a relationship, just know there's a lot to enjoy in the single life. Let us know how the single life is treating you in the comments. Leave a like and subscribe to Psych2Go for more videos like this. And if we can leave you with one thing, it's this. Being single doesn't mean you have to be lonely.