Being single when all of your friends are in a relationship can be hard. You may notice people are talking about their weddings, what they're naming their baby, and what couples friends they are going out with this weekend. It is common to feel envious, excluded, forgotten, or even frustrated by the couples in these situations. It could be due to life circumstances that the time you spend together with your coupled friends is more limited. Sometimes it’s grieving the relationships you had with your friends before they found their person and that is OKAY! 

Here are 5 ways to help you cope and maximize your life while being single. And if you’re hoping to talk in more detail about this, feel free to reach out to schedule a consultation for individual therapy.

1. Try new things on your own

This could be the perfect opportunity to try something you have been wanting to do for a while or something you just could not make the time for before. Spend some of your free time exploring new hobbies and finding things that give you meaning and joy. Once you build up the confidence to go solo, you will feel more comfortable spending time alone. Practice makes progress!

2. Share with your friends how you feel

The change in dynamics is happening to everyone in the friendship. Friends should be able to express their feelings in order to reassure one another while acknowledging the natural change of shifting dynamics due to relationships.

3. Try not to take it personally

There are other individuals out there who have not found their perfect match. In fact, there are more singles than couples. There are also many couples who are unhappy in their current relationships. It’s great to continue to put yourself out there, but remaining selective is important because you do not want to be in a relationship just because everyone else is or for reasons that won’t fulfill you. 

4. Spend time with other single friends… or branch out to make new ones

Take this time to catch up with other friends who might have more free time in their schedules. You may want to use this time to talk about things you might feel scared to talk about with your coupled up friends. Make this part about you and go out, have fun, and meet some new people! You may want to try and make more friends with extroverts as they tend to want to socialize regardless of their relationship status.

5. Make time for your friends that are in relationships

Typically the more time you spend without your friends, the more excluded you may feel. Make plans, as a group, in advance, in order to make this happen. Maybe you even have dinner or drinks with your friends that are in relationships. At the end of the day, if they are good friends they will include you, even if it means hanging out as a threesome. AND who knows they may even have someone to set you up with!

You may notice that your friends now have someone else who takes priority in most situations. We live in a couple’s world, so it is natural to feel out of place when many people are coupled up. This often stems  from the social pressures of being in a relationship and how we fantasize people in relationships. Remember that everyone has been or will be single at some point in their life. Being single now, does not mean you will be single forever. If you want to be in a relationship, it's so helpful to work on being the best version of yourself while dating intentionally! That’s key to getting the best relationship in time!

 For more information on individual therapy, you can contact me by clicking here.