I gave up dating for six months — it was the best decision I’ve ever made

2016 was a bad year. Trump, Brexit and (in my case, at least) fuckboys abound. As an attempt to fulfill the “new year, new me” trope, I decided to remove the biggest sin of all from my everyday diet: fuckboys. No Tinder, no dates and above all else, no drama.

The six months was no breeze. I had to reject a few guys along the way who might even have been good for me. But I was committed to my mission and it taught me some very valuable lessons along the way:

Boys bring drama

I’m talking D.R.A.M.A , with a capital D and all the trimmings. Heartbreak is exhausting, and if we’re being real, ain’t nobody got time for that. I had literally never had a drama-free period in my life, so when it finally emerged it was as empowering. I felt more confident, more focussed and more committed to living life in the moment. No checking my phone to see if he’d called or refreshing Facebook for the 3654675th time. It was bliss. I could actually talk to my friends — and really talk — about politics, travel and ambitions. I learned so much by spending quality time with some amazing women, and I felt great.

Partying is not a sin — it’s a necessity

We are young and free, and it won’t last forever. When you’re in a relationship or even just in limbo, we’re all guilty of turning down big nights out in favor of some frisky Netflix and chill. The past six months reminded me how much I really enjoy going out. Drinking, dancing, meeting new people whilst getting down and dirty to Rihanna’s Work. Obviously going out Monday-Sunday is not a good idea, but letting off steam on a night out has definitely helped improve my happiness. Like all good things, in moderation of course.

Being single means you can literally do whatever the fuck you want, whenever you want

This didn’t just mean going “out” out. I got to road trip across America and get lit in Cancun for spring break. Even just the little things really made a huge difference to my overall happiness – I could go to museums, galleries or the mall and not have to worry about letting a certain someone know where I was every minute of every day. I could go out exploring and turn off my phone for hours — hours! — and not have to stress about retuning to 70 missed calls and 101 texts desperately enquiring of my whereabouts. I was freeeeee.

I could watch as much shitty TV as I liked without having to engage in battle

Yes, I’m talking Bridget Jones, The Carrie Diaries, 13 Reasons Why and series 1-7 of The Hills. Am I proud of this behavior? Not particularly, no. Yet somehow I felt a great sense of achievement in knowing that if I had just wasted the last six hours and 24 minutes of my life watching the trials and tribulations of married life between Heidi and Spencer Pratt, I’d done it on my own terms.

I saved so much money

If you eliminate dates, date outfits, Valentine’s/anniversary/birthday presents, mini breaks away and take out for two from your life, you end up having a lot more money to treat yo’ self. What’s more, you can spend that money on whatever the fuck you want. You could literally burn bills till the cows came home if you so preferred (although I probably wouldn’t recommend it).

You adopt a dgaf attitude to everything in life (and become a lot more fun in the process)

This can range from “fuck it — lets just fly to Miami” to having tequila poured into your mouth by a handsome young bartender in Cancun (just as a totally random example, of course…). You’ve got no one to impress, so why the fuck not? I started saying yes to as many things as possible, giving zero fucks about how this might affect my chances with a guy, and it was great.

So, would I give up dating forever? No. Although, I have certainly come to realize that if I were to give up the sweet single life it would have to be for someone pretty extraordinary. I still love men — probably more than I should — but flying solo has turned out to be just as fabulous.