Long perceived as a painful ordeal, even a failure, the romantic breakup today becomes, for many single parents, a real catalyst for transformation. This phenomenon, popularized under the name “grow up, glow up”, coming straight from the United States, is gaining ground in France. And could well redefine the way we think about separation. Good news.
A breakup as a starting point
Is this a way of persuading ourselves or a reality? In any case, we observe that for many, the end of a relationship no longer necessarily marks a fall, but rather a new beginning. Growing up and glowing again is what we call a process of personal, emotional and professional reconstruction. And seeing it like this can help you rebuild yourself.
Thus, in the United States, the dating application Stir, dedicated to single parents, revealed that 70% of them say they have improved their relationship with themselves after a breakup, and almost half (49%) feel more attractive than before. Figures that speak of a true return to oneself. Often accompanied by an increase in confidence, renewed care given to one’s appearance and a redefinition of one’s priorities.
The #SingleEffect: when singleness suits you (or better)
On social networks, the trend is exploding. The hashtag #SingleEffect brings together thousands of publications on TikTok: parents share their “before/after” breakup photos, living testimonies of their physical and emotional rebirth. What might seem superficial at first glance tells, beneath the smiling selfies, a story of resilience and self-reclamation.
“Breaking up is brutal, inevitably. But it’s also an empty space… which becomes one’s own again. The opportunity to think about what we want, what we love, who we are when no one defines us”explains Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist.
This new shine is therefore not only aesthetic. “It’s deeper than that. It’s a refocusing. A way to feel alive again.”
A new era dawns for single parents
Stir’s data shows that 57% of single parents actually feel increased self-confidence after a separation, 52% develop a better relationship with their body, and 51% greater self-acceptance. A fundamental phenomenon which is now echoed in France, where applications designed for single parents accompany this development with kindness.
And the timing is consistent: according to the American study, single parents wait on average 11 months after a separation before resuming romantic encounters. Time, undoubtedly, to set new benchmarks and clarify one’s desires before loving again.
Growing, shining, inspiring everything is allowed.
“Moving forward and growing is perhaps precisely seizing this opportunity to get back to living,” continues Amélie Boukhobza. “Because for years, we had faded a little, behind the couple, the children, everyday life… When a parent finds himself, the child is better too: it is a more aligned, more true, less exhausted model. she mentions.
Behind the slightly marketing term “grow up, glow up”, there is not just a fashion effect, but a movement of emancipation. A way for single parents to reinvent themselves without denying their role, to rediscover themselves in order to rebuild themselves better. This doesn’t mean you have to go through a breakup to feel like yourself, of course. But after all, the end of a love story can also mark the beginning of a story with yourself.