Living alone and single is one of the most empowering times of your life. It’s not only an opportunity to get to know yourself, but it’s also a chance to focus on your personal goals without distraction. However, with societal pressure to find a relationship, you’ll often find yourself faced with questions about your dating life. Here are four ways to respond when you’re pushed to ditch the single life, listed in order of escalation.
- I’m Happy with My Current Situation
As a first step, especially in casual conversation, saying you’re happy with your dating life suggests that you’re not looking to change your situation anytime soon.
You can be as specific or vague as you are comfortable with—you never owe anyone an explanation. This is a great first step in navigating away from a topic you’re tired of discussing.
- I Want to Focus on My Personal Goals
For pushier individuals, providing additional context helps to move away from the topic. Again, you never owe others an explanation for your personal preferences, but you could always highlight the benefits of being single in a way that refocuses the conversation on what’s best for you.
Explaining your focus is on your personal development (or something else important to you) rather than a relationship shows that you’ve thought through your choice to be single and have decided to put the focus on yourself.
- I’m Uncomfortable Discussing This
If you’re still in conversation with a person who thinks they know better than you, make your discomfort known. This tactic will almost always put a stop to the conversation. The person in question may not realize they are making you uncomfortable, so drawing attention to that fact teaches them your boundaries for future conversations.
The fact of the matter is, your dating life is only up for discussion if you allow it to be. If you don’t want to have the conversation, shut it down, and don’t feel bad for doing so. It’s called a personal life for a reason.
- Frankly, My Dating Life Isn’t Up for Discussion
As a last resort, for the particularly pushy individual who feels they have a say in your relationship status, be direct and to the point. Set your boundaries, not only for this conversation but also for future opportunities to revisit the topic.
If you don’t want to talk about your dating life, that is your prerogative, and you shouldn’t feel any guilt in immediately shutting it down. Regardless of how you feel about the topic, you are in the position to set the tone and determine what is and is not acceptable to discuss.
Just as there is nothing wrong with being in a relationship, there is nothing wrong with being single for as long as you’d like. While outside pressures will always be a factor, they shouldn’t make feel guilty, obligated, or unwanted. So keep these responses in your arsenal and go about your single life with confidence!