ខ្មែរ
English
At one time or another, we’ve all found ourselves without a date on Friday night. All too quickly, those familiar feelings of loneliness start creeping in. We start wondering if it’s us. Is my hair not shiny enough? Is my laugh too loud? We go to task figuring out ways we can improve ourselves to “catch” our perfect man. But what if being single isn’t a problem we need to solve? It seems like more and more it’s something to celebrate. Beyoncé sings her heart out to all of her single ladies while fashion icons like Coco Chanel and Tyra Banks made names for themselves without a man by their sides. “My mom never taught me to be waiting for some prince on a white horse to sweep me off my feet,” Ms. Banks famously said. Instead of looking at being single as a permanent state of gloom and despair, take that time to build a relationship with yourself. Use these five tips to get to know YOU and you’ll be surprised by how much being single doesn’t actually suck.
- Flying Solo Friday
Make Friday night something to look forward to. When you’re in a relationship, compromise becomes a huge part of your day-to-day. Sometimes that means watching a movie you’re not interested in or hanging out with his friends. Without someone else’s needs to consider, though, you have the freedom to do all the things you want. Take yourself to that new romantic comedy you’ve been dying to see or order in from your favorite restaurant and relax in your comfy clothes. Make it your date night with yourself to indulge in all of the things that make you happy. Your options just became wide open, so have fun with it!
2. Sharpen Your Skills
If there’s ever a time to accomplish a goal you’ve set, being single is the perfect excuse. Do you have a book you’ve been trying to finish? Or a song you’ve wanted to learn? Sometimes in relationships we push personal goals aside, like learning a new language or experimenting with new recipes, but there’s no excuse when you’re sans partner. Take some time, maybe during your new Friday night date with yourself, to make a list of all the things you’ve secretly wanted to do in your life. Don’t be afraid to include everything. Then go through that list and pick out the top two. Make a plan to achieve them and use those extra hours you get as a single woman to start reaching those goals!
- Truly You
Embrace being alone. For the majority of the day, we’re surrounded by others and their influences. Even when we’re alone, we have advertising telling us what we should look like and who we should be. Relationships make it even more difficult because we tend to lose our sense of self and individuality in the midst of being in love. But, to truly find lasting love, we have to love ourselves first. This starts by knowing ourselves. It’s more than just our likes and dislikes, but extends to what our passions are and the direction we want our lives to head. Using the ideas here, you can start to realign with your true sense of self. Once we have a strong, loving relationship with ourselves, it’s much easier for us to decide who we want in our lives. Even while in a romantic relationship, don’t forget to take time for yourself.
- Rally the Troops
Everyone knows of that one friend who seems to disappear every time she gets a boyfriend. Whether or not that was you, spending time with friends is crucial when you’re a free woman (and when you’re not!). Your friends become your lifelines to help you navigate the new terrain of being independent. Reach out to them when you need a post-breakup pick-me-up and offer your listening services in return. Make plans for lunch dates and pot luck parties. Do the age-old girls’ night. Pretty soon you’ll find your schedule filled with quality friend time and wondering how you ever had time for a boyfriend. Just don’t forget to save some of that time for yourself and you’ll be happier than you ever thought possible.
- Get Glam
It’s far too easy to spend weekend nights wearing sweat pants and watching reruns of “New Girl” when you don’t have a date planned, so every once in a while it’s good to get glam. Taking time to pamper yourself and show your body some love will make you feel . You don’t need anyone telling you you’re beautiful when you know you are. Go shopping, have a spa day, treat yourself to a new body scrub. Find some way to feel luxurious and then commit to it at least twice a month. Reminding yourself of your outer beauty will help your inner beauty shine through.
