Whether you’re a girl who’s used to being independent, single, and on her own, or you’re simply a girl who likes her independence, being in a relationship can be tough. Being in a relationship means relying on another person a lot. If you’re in a relationship but want to maintain your independence, follow these tips to make sure that you stay independent despite the fact that you’re in a relationship. Whether it means having a night to yourself or cleaning up your own messes (literally and figuratively), you can easily (and should) be in a healthy relationship while maintaining a strong sense of your own independence without defining yourself by your relationship!
Just because you’re in a relationship doesn’t mean that you need to spend every single night with your significant other. Instead, make some time to spend apart. I’m a firm believer that everyone needs time to themselves, especially in a relationship, so make it a point to spend at least one night a month on your own!
Even if you already make time to have a night to yourself, you also need to make time for a night with your friends! It’s a common annoyance when one of your friends starts a new relationship and forgets about her friends. If you don’t like when that happens to you, don’t let it happen in your own friendships either!
I think most girls agree that shopping with their significant other can be pretty obnoxious. You’re constantly listening to them ask when you’ll be done shopping and when they can leave. You don’t need to shop with your significant other and, in fact, you’ll probably have more fun shopping without him!
Don’t be that girl who sits by the phone waiting for your significant other to call you. Either pick up the phone and call or go and do your own thing. Don’t sit around waiting for him to include you in his life, make your own life amazing!
It’s healthy to spend some time apart. Especially in the texting age, most couples are in constant contact all hours of the day. If you need a break from each other, try to go a day or two without communicating in any way, shape or form. Or even better, pick a way of communication, such as email, that you can still communicate through, but that’s it. Everyone needs a break!
Just because you’re in a relationship does not mean that you need to rely on your significant other to do all of the dirty work for you. Be strong and independent on your own by doing your own chores!
You don’t need someone to clean up your metaphorical messes for you. If something goes wrong in your life, don’t expect your boyfriend to fix it for you. Take care of it yourself without the help of anyone else—it will be that much more gratifying when you’ve fixed things!
What are your most important things to do independently when you’re in a relationship? Let me know how you stay independent while in a relationship in the comments!