Panic not if you’re single this Valentine’s Day, new research suggests you may be better off than loved up friends.
According to a study from the University of California, Santa Barbara, being single has a whole host of psychological benefits. Bella DePaulo, a social psychologist, analysed 814 studies of both married and single people, and her findings are pretty interesting.
DePaulo found single people to be more self-reliant and motivated than those who were coupled up. Singles were also more likely to grow as individuals and reach personal goals they set quicker than those in relationships.
Furthermore, single people have better relationships with their parents, siblings, friends, and coworkers.
In fact, DePaulo found that married people were likely to be more unsociable.
"When people marry, they become more insular," DePaulo commented.
Her research, presented at the American Psychological Association conference, did however highlight that there are also benefits to being married, as well as being single.
"More than ever before, Americans can pursue the ways of living that work best for them. There is no one blueprint for the good life," DePaulo said.
"What matters is not what everyone else is doing or what other people think we should be doing, but whether we can find the places, the spaces and the people that fit who we really are and allow us to live our best lives," she concluded.
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