Not being in a relationship is it's own stress
One way it can stress a person out is if they believe they're supposed to be in one. The kind of expectations put on us by family, friends, society at large and even our own physical existence as humans. So much of life screams at us to pair up. Sometimes we need to work on ourselves with ourselves though.
Then there's the other side of the coin - you yourself wishing you had someone special. As time goes by you go from feeling unlucky to just plain undesirable. It'll wear on your self esteem.
So what do we do about it?
@DaveMarx
My wife was alone for 7 years before we met. I'd been alone for 4 years. We're both photogenic, so I think there's much more to it than looks or desirability.
One issue is, what are the opportunities available to meet someone. If we're surrounded by incompatible people, or those with dissimilar interests, it's really hard to form a decent relationship.
My wife and I met at something akin to a meditation group. Engaging in activities that involve a bit of socializing, increases the odds of meeting someone.
Both my wife and I were resigned to being alone forever, and both of us became pretty comfortable and accepting of being alone. That turned out to be one of the things that we found attractive about each other. We maintained our independence for quite a while after we met. We celebrated being together without having to worry about forming "needy," "clingy," addictive cravings for each other. We knew we'd be okay if we found ourselves alone again. That's actually a huge factor in why we're still together after 32 years. Because we didn't have that unhealthy attachment that so often forms, insecurity and jealousy wasn't an issue. We were also willing to accept each other's interests and careers, etc.
So, what do you do about being single? My choice, as well as my wife's was to become good at it. It's possible to do that while being open to potential partnerships. It's also helpful to spend time in situations where connections are possible.
