Being single can feel like you’re 100% defined by the sole fact that you don’t have a significant other. Some people even make their Facebook relationship status private, so the word “single” isn’t staring at them blatantly on their profile. It’s sometimes difficult to go through a time of being by yourself, but it doesn’t have to be that terrible.

First off, tell yourself that you aren’t single, but rather, you are independent. Being independent means being able to stand on your own and fend for yourself. It also means that you are able to love and take care of yourself. Understanding this is very crucial, because independence is a valuable trait to have. Use your independence to your advantage. Instead of spending a Saturday night lying in bed, watching sad, romantic movies on Netflix, go treat yourself to a nice dinner. Don’t be afraid to go out to a restaurant by yourself! While you’re sitting at that table by yourself, don’t think of yourself as a lonely loser, think of yourself as a strong and carefree person. It can take a lot of guts to be able to go out to dinner by yourself, so go ahead and prove to yourself that you have what it takes. A simple step such as this one can allow you to show yourself what you’ve been missing out on by overthinking your singleness.

Secondly, think about all of the people you have in your life. You should spend more time focusing on the amazing friends and family you have instead of focusing on how single you are. This is how you can take advantage of being single. You have all the time in the world to hang out with whoever you want and whenever you want, so go do it! Go on adventures with your best friends, or go relive old family traditions. Embrace all the people who are close to you, because they will make you realize that you are not truly alone in this world. They will be there for you through thick and thin, and you always need to keep that in mind. Just because your dating life is nonexistent, doesn’t mean you don’t have a life at all.

Lastly, remember that it’s ok to be single. Even though it’s nice to have a significant other, and it’s nice to have romantic fantasies, that doesn’t mean that it should take over your life. Sometimes you need to be single in order to find yourself. Or maybe you need to be single in order to figure out how to love yourself. Furthermore, maybe you need to be single just to explore life to the fullest. You don’t necessarily need a defined reason for being single, but make sure to always give yourself positive thoughts about being single. Loneliness only occurs if you let it. No one is forcing you to be lonely but yourself. If you have made yourself lonely, then you can certainly make yourself not lonely. Being alone doesn’t always mean being lonely; being alone should be your golden opportunity to embark on a personal mission.