8 Ways To Tell If You're Doing The Whole 'Being Single' Thing Right

Being single can be scary, especially when you're newly single out of a long-term, serious relationship. Sometimes it can blow, but other times, it can be the best period of your life.

Embrace it, live it, learn from it and love it.

Everyone I know is getting engaged, throwing up in sinks at the bar or walking around like mindless zombies because they're playing Pokémon Go. It seems like there is no in-between at the moment. With that being said, being single sounds fantastic right now.

It's funny (in a cruel, fucked up kind of way) how society gives us a very specific idea of where we should be in a relationship by a certain time in our lives. Well, this is me calling society out because being single has been the best time of my life, and I'm not looking for anyone anytime soon (at least until this whole Pokémon Go thing is over).

Here are eight reasons you should be grateful for being single:

1. You learn to love yourself first.

This is crucial. Love yourself, take yourself out for dates, pamper yourself and buy yourself some colorful flowers. It's not right to ask someone to love you if you don't love yourself. Build up your self-esteem, and work on feeling empowered on your own. Confidence is attractive.

2. You'll be more grateful for the people in your life.

Sometimes when we're in relationship, we tend to put ourselves on hold for our SO. This isn't healthy, but it happens. We might lose touch with friends or family to make more room for the one we love.

Use this time to rekindle these lost relationships or to make stronger bonds. Your friends and family are the people who will always build you up and make you know your worth every night.

Annual Sunday Funday with boxed wine and "OINTB?" I think so. Plus, you'll also have more time to go out and make new friendships.

3. You'll stress less.

There are very few shittier feelings than lying in bed at night alone, waiting for a text and wondering WTF is going on. We've all been there, and we've all had our insecurity issues, probably for good reasons.

You won't have to deal with anyone calling you crazy, ditching your plans or just not giving a shit about what you want or feel in general. It might take a little to realize this, but it is so relieving.

4. The world is your sex buffet.

Need I say more? I think not.

5. Your options are literally endless.

Do you want to pick up and move across the country to pursue your dream of being a rodeo clown? Do it. You can literally do anything you were being held back from when you were in a relationship, and it will not affect anyone but you. Independence has never felt so great.

Go back to school, take a solo road trip, take up to cooking class or join a book club. Climb Mount Everest for goodness sake. Be smart and take care of yourself first, and the sky can be your limit.

6. You can do you.

I've had a lot of friends in relationships who didn't act like their true selves. Now is the time to rediscover yourself for who you are as a person, so dig deep.

Don't ever let anyone convince you that you dream too big, that you aren't smart enough to meet your goals or that you are anything less than what you know yourself to be. Go crazy, take advantage of situations way out of your comfort zone and make it a point to not look back. YOLO.

7. You have "me" time.

You discover a lot about who you are when you allow yourself to be free and single. You can find new hobbies, new friendships and maybe even some new career paths you didn't know you wanted. "You" time is also completely acceptable if you binge-watch all of the series your SO hated, so that's great.

You might surprise yourself on how independent you can be on your own, how amazing it feels to have to rely on yourself and how even more incredible it feels to do it successfully. "You" time takes just that: time.

8. You can take the time to figure out what you want.

Marriage? Kids? There's no reason you have to know right this minute, and there's nothing wrong if you choose one or both.

Maybe your entire perspective changes depending on whom you're with, and that's OK. We blindly rush into so many big choices that we should stop and really meditate on. You might wake up one day and decide the suburbs aren't for you, and you want to give the city life ago. You have that option, and more importantly, you have the time to make choices, make mistakes and make the most out of life lessons.

There isn't a specific age we need to be married at, have kids at, have the dream car at or get the VP job at. So, take your time and figure out what you want for yourself, work hard and make it happen.

Being single can be scary, but it can also be one of the most adventurous, enlightening, fun times of your life. It is more than OK to fall in love with being single and fall in love with yourself. Put your heels on, and go a little crazy.

If you feel the need to be committed to someone, be committed to yourself.