A new trend is happening among older women, and they’re not apologizing for it! Seemingly, this new way of life is more satisfying and less stressful for, among others, these 21 common reasons.
1. Financial Independence
![Back of woman's head, computer screens and money in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/geralt-1024x696.jpg)
Older women are finding more joy in being reliant on themselves and the freedom that comes with that. They’re finding they appreciate spending their funds how they set fit, without having to confer with a partner.
2. Preferred Priorities
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As women age, they prefer doing their own things, such as investing time and energy into their health and well-being. Older women can meal prep and plan their schedule accordingly without having to consider a partner’s dietary preferences or restrictions.
Read More: 15 Benefits Of Staying Single Most People Don’t Realize
3. Change in Priorities
![Woman stretching buildings and trees in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1-1-edited.jpg)
Some older women have higher standards as they age. As such, they become more selective, often preferring a life of solitude over compromising to make a relationship work.
4 . Older Women are Staying Involved
![Woman sitting and hugging a dog. Water, fence posts, trees, and a building in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/nancy-jane-edited.jpg)
The new trend is good news not only for older women but also for their communities. Older women are enjoying the single life, throwing opportunities like volunteer work, enriching their lives and the lives of those around them.
5. Older Women Love Quiet Time
![Old woman smiling. Greenery in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/RiflorYa-1024x809.jpg)
Both men and women prefer a calmer or quieter life as they age. While this doesn’t just apply to women, it’s certainly a major factor for older women to prefer being single. This quiet time allows them to reflect on their families, memories, hobbies, and hopes for the future.
6. Older Women Have Been There
![Older woman holding a beer. pink flowers and green leaves in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/silvia-rita-1024x775.jpg)
The saying “Been there, done that” applies to older women in the sense that their past relationships have played a role in their decision to enjoy a single life. Particularly, older women who’ve been in abusive, traumatic, or stressful relationships prefer to be single in later years as they prefer peace.
7. Personal Growth
![Woman reading a book wearing a hat. Water and greenery in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hobbie-1024x847.jpg)
Like new hobbies, the opportunities to learn new skills and discover new passions are another huge reason that older women choose not to be in a relationship later in life.
Read More: Single Mom Discovers Her Foster Baby Is Actually The Biological Sister Of Her Adopted Son
8. Older Women Love Independence
![Comfort relaxed senior old elderly woman grandmother drinking hot beverage tea coffee at home looking at camera in the living room. Pension concept.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_2115835496.jpg)
As previously mentioned, older women love financial independence, but in being single, they also get to enjoy the luxury of doing what they want, when they want.
9. Older Women are Traveling
![Woman wearing a hat and smiling.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Capture-1-edited.jpg)
Older women are traveling with friends, siblings, or their children. They’re creating irreplaceable memories at a cheaper rate without having to concern themselves with flights, meals, or other accommodations for two.
10. Or Enjoying More Adventure
![Older woman wearing red dress and riding a bike. Mountains, oceans, and beach towns in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pasja1000-1024x727.jpg)
Men tend to be more set in their ways than women, who are often more open-minded about new experiences. As a result, older women have more freedom to try new things or see new places when they’re single.
11. Older Women Alone
![Close up of a woman pondering. Greenery in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/silviarite-1024x732.jpg)
According to Bella DePaulo Ph.D. for Psychology Today, women prefer and enjoy alone time more than men do. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that older women would find satisfaction in being alone, especially as they age and discover more about the world.
12. Social Groups
![Happy multiracial senior women having fun together outdoor - Elderly generation people hugging each other at park](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_1939440952.jpg)
With more older women choosing to be single, there are plenty of social circles, including book, quilting or sewing clubs, and other clubs that women can join, creating a sense of community, joy, and fulfillment.
Read More: Are Single Women Happier?
13. Stronger Friendships
![Two women side by side with white hair. Black background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ThuyHaBich-edited.jpg)
Apparently, women preferring to be alone and having a range of emotions can build deeper bonds and connections with their friends. This means their sense of fulfillment fills their heart and soul with all they need, thereby eliminating the need for a spouse or partner.
14. Heightened Support
![Older women holding hands.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ok-edited.jpg)
Similarly, women have a stronger sense of community and are often more supportive of one another. Meanwhile, men rely on their spouse or partner for emotional support. This can be taxing and leads older women to appreciate the solitude.
15. Keeping Up
![Caucasian senior elderly woman wearing apron, cleaning kitchen at home. Attractive mature old housekeeper cleaner feel tired and upset while wiping dining table for housekeeping housework or chores.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_2253861963.jpg)
Older women appreciate not having another person to clean up after. They no longer have to work twice as hard to keep the kitchen or bathroom clean, Nor do they have to pick up another person’s towels or socks. By eliminating an extra set of chores, older women have more time for themselves.
16. Older Women are Less Caring
![Cute senior old woman making a heart shape with her hands and fingers](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_644431456.jpg)
Older women have had their families or their careers, if not both. They’re happy to be involved in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives without having to be a caregiver or provider any longer. In contrast, married women, particularly those who’ve been married for years, find themselves caring for their spouse or partner. Women tend to be more in tune with their emotions and are easier to drain. So, older women are finding peace in not having to assert boundaries or feel as though they failed to show up somehow for another person.
17. Always This Way
![Senior woman in green park](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_444097750.jpg)
Most little girls dream of their fairytale lives, weddings, and partners. However, some women were the exceptions to that rule and merely preferred to pave a different path than others might expect. One major factor for older women preferring to be single might have more to do with their life’s goals and purpose rather than their age.
Read More: 23-Year-Old Single Woman Adopts 13 Kids to Devote Her Life to Them, Births Her Own Baby Soon After
18. Some Defy Stereotypes
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As the former reason implies, some women have spent their whole lives pursuing goals other than marriage and family, regardless of what society expects of them.
19. Empowerment
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Several older women have chosen to be single because it empowers them. They’re not just independent but capable, strong, and skillful.
20. Going Back to Finish
![Taking her time with new books](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_642756139.jpg)
Some older women gave up getting their degrees or pursuing a career for the sake of staying home to raise a family. Therefore, many opt for a single life because it gives them a chance to go back and finish their degree or pursue their professional dreams.
21. More Fun
![Woman wearing makeup and a purple hat with blue feathers. Blurred people in the background.](https://secretlifeofmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SSS-edited.jpg)
As the previously mentioned reasons imply, older women have more fun when they’re single. They have little holding them back from having fun. As a result, they’re more fun or exciting to be around.
Read More: Single Foster Mom Refuses To Let Siblings Be Separated, What She Did Next Was Incredible
Sources
- “Here Are 21 Reasons Why Older Women Are Now Saying They’d Rather Be Alone.” MSN
- “Why So Many Women Are Perfectly Happy to Stay Single.” Psychology Today. Bella DePaulo. October 29, 2018.
- “5 Reasons Why So Many Women Love Living Alone.” Psychology Today. Bella DePaulo. December 3, 2019.