Like many people, are you unsure how to tell if your casual relationship is getting serious? This article is here to help you out! You and your friend-with-benefits love to have sex together, but are there any signs that your casual relationship is becoming more serious? What should you do if so?
At first, casual relationships seem like they would be good for both people. You get all the good things about being in a relationship without having to fight, feel pressured, or even make a commitment. Even though casual relationships can work, there are usually signs that they are becoming more serious.
When this happens, something simple can become hard.
Do casual relationships ever get serious?
People have casual or purely sexual relationships with each other a lot these days. It could be a case of “friends with benefits” or just a romantic relationship in which neither person makes a promise to the other. Cause and effect can show up in a lot of different ways.
But do relationships that aren’t serious ever get that way?
Each situation is different, but yes, things can get bad. But it actually depends on the people involved and what they each want from the relationship, as well as what they both want.
In the end, both people must want the same things and be on the same page. If that doesn’t happen, the relationship won’t get serious.
Your relationship seems to be getting more serious.
You probably started dating casually because you aren’t ready to settle down, don’t want to make a commitment, or just want to have fun. If it wasn’t one of those, it was probably something similar, like you’re still getting over a breakup.
But if the actual reason you wanted a casual relationship is becoming less and less like what you have now, it may be a sign that your casual relationship is becoming more serious. Did you just want regular sex without any other commitments?
If you can’t avoid the things you didn’t want to happen in a serious relationship, your casual relationship is getting more serious. How to be in a casual relationship without being hurt or betrayed.
How to tell if your casual relationship is becoming more serious
Worried that your casual relationship is turning into something more? Or maybe you want your casual relationship to turn into something more.
In any case, these are signs that your casual relationship is becoming more serious.
1. Both of your families have met.
When you keep a relationship on the light side, you don’t really know much about each other’s lives. You don’t spend time together in groups or with each other’s families.
Maybe your lover ran into your roommate in the hallway.
The deeper things get, the more involved you are in each other’s lives.
2. You often care if they’re going out with someone else.
Jealousy is annoying. It comes when you’re not looking for it and makes things messy.
A casual relationship is usually not a commitment, but if you find out that this person is seeing someone else or even flirting with someone else and it bothers you, it could mean that at least one of you is getting serious. Why you shouldn’t make someone a priority if they only have you as an option.
3. You miss them, and they miss you.
Even if you miss having sex, you can still keep your casual relationship. But you miss someone when you miss their corny jokes or how much they love a Netflix show. This means that the line between casual and emotional is getting less clear.
If you tell each other how much you miss each other or even just feel it, feelings could be on the way.
4. You cuddle
Every kind of casual relationship has its own set of rules. Some people can hold hands even when nothing special is going on. But when sex turns into closeness, it could be an early sign that your casual relationship is becoming more serious.
Even though everything feels the same, this is a small and subtle change.
5. You talk A LOT
Sure, you talk when you’re all together. You talk about the most recent Saturday Night Live show and the weather. But in most casual relationships, you only need to talk to make plans when you’re not together.
Things could be getting worse if you feel like you want to tell them good news or bad news almost all the time.
6. Small gestures
If you see yourself pick up their coffee order before you see them or make them dinner, and you are putting in more effort than a casual relationship needs. If you want to keep athat kind of relationship casual, you should follow these rules.
7. The lines are getting blurry.
Almost every casual relationship has some rules about what you can and can’t do. You decide there won’t be any more sleepovers, meals, or even kisses on the lips like in Pretty Woman.
But if these rules that you used to follow start to be broken or even bent, it’s a sign that your casual relationship is becoming more serious.
8. You have each other’s social media accounts.
Following your casual partner on social media makes sense. Who do you not listen to? You might like each other’s photos or send each other messages to set up your next meeting.
But if you start posting photos of yourselves together, that’s a clear sign that your casual relationship is getting serious.
9. You talk about things in your own life.
You can talk to your casual partner about work, traffic, or the weird noise your car is making. But when you start to tell them things, things get harder. If they work in finance, it’s fine to ask them for help with your taxes, but it’s not okay to ask them how to deal with your ex.
When you start talking about your past relationships, family problems, or other personal things, you are no longer having a casual conversation.
10. You feel it
Lastly, you might not be able to explain the most obvious signs that your casual relationship is becoming more serious. They might not be things you hear or see. Instead, you might just feel it.
When things get serious, you just know, whether you feel butterflies, excitement, or even comfort and safety. Read: 30 strange and unlikely signs you’re falling for someone.
Should you go out or do something important?
When a casual relationship turns into something more, you have to decide what to do. Do you want to keep it going? Do you want to try to make things work between you and this person? Or do you want to stop before things get too hard and messy?
This is something you should give a lot of thought to. You had a reason for getting into a casual relationship. Does that argument still make sense?
You might not have been ready for a serious relationship right after a breakup, but now that you’ve moved on, you feel like you are. But if you know you can’t keep promises, maybe you shouldn’t get involved in something serious.
If you don’t know how you feel, talk to a friend you can trust. They can help you see feelings you might have been trying to hide. If you talk a lot about this person, your friend will tell you that it sounds like you know each other. If you aren’t, it may be clear that you aren’t ready for something serious.
But first things first. Talk about it if you think your casual relationship is getting more serious. You can’t make this choice by yourself. There is a link here. Whether or not it’s casual or serious depends on both of you.
You both need to be on the same page if you want things to go well or end well. Even in this kind of relationship, it’s important to talk to each other.
How to take a casual date to the next level
If you think that you and your friend might want to be more than just friends, there are ways to make that happen. But it can be confusing and uncomfortable if you don’t know how your casual partner feels about it.
You need to find out if they are just in it for short-term fun or if they are willing to take a step toward something more serious.
People often have casual sex in the hopes that it will lead to something more serious. Researchers have called this “slow love,” and believe it or not, it can lead to a more serious relationship.
When you have sex with someone soon after meeting them, it tells them, “I’m interested in you.” They are curious about them. In fact, research shows that a person who wants to get married might have sex early in a relationship because they want to move as quickly as possible.
So, if you want your casual relationship to become more serious and go to the next level, there are some steps you will need to take.
1. Find out if both of you want to take things seriously.
Obviously, both people have to want to get serious for it to happen. But how can you tell what your casual partner is thinking?
First, pay close attention to what they say and do. Do they only call you late at night when they want to make a booty call? Or do you talk with them often during the day? Do you hang out with each other outside the bedroom?
If you talk to them often and hang out with them when you’re not having sex, the relationship could become more serious. But you might be misinterpreting what they say or how they act. So, be careful.
You need to be ready to hear that they don’t want to be serious with you, both mentally and emotionally. And if you do hear that, you need to know what you want to do about it. Do you want to keep dating on the side, or do you want to end it?
2. Say what you think.
Let’s say you’re pretty sure that your casual partner also wants to take things to the next level with you. Then let them know how you feel.
They can’t read your mind, so you need to tell them what you want. Even if they don’t feel the same way about you, it’s best to tell them anyway so you can get everything out in the open.
But don’t make a big deal out of it. Just talk about it in a casual way so they have time to think about it. Also, you don’t want to be too pushy or give them a choice between two bad options.
Just make sure you know what you want. They can agree or not agree. But you’ve told them how you feel either way. Don’t forget to give them time if they need it to think about it.
3. Meet people.
If you and them both want to try to be in a serious relationship, you need to stop being just sexual partners and start dating each other. So you need to make love.
Just like with any other date, you will still need to decide if your casual partner is “relationship material” or not.
So, choose a fancy or casual place to go or a fun activity to do together. You could go to a museum, a party, the movies, or a restaurant. The idea is to spend time with them outside of the bedroom so you can figure out if you’re a good match.
Remember that even if both people want to take the relationship to the next level and get serious, that doesn’t mean it will work out. You should treat it like any other person you go out with. Always think about whether you could work together for a long time.
Have you noticed that your casual relationship is turning into something more? If that’s the case, what do you plan to do about it? No matter what, you have to talk about it, so remember these tips and steps and follow them.
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