Breaking the Friend Zone 101
We’ve all been there… In that dead zone referred to as the friend zone. This article will assist those who are stuck as the person who is neither a stranger nor a lover. Throughout the article I’ll discuss the boundaries of the friend zone and ways to ease out of it. Please note that unless you have a very open and understanding friendship, some of these methods could cause extreme awkwardness or uncomfortable future encounters.
“In popular culture, the "friend zone" refers to a platonic relationship wherein one person wishes to enter into a romantic or sexual relationship, while the other does not. It is generally considered to be an undesirable situation by the lovelorn person.[1] Once the friend zone is established, it is said to be difficult to move beyond that point in a relationship.” - Wikipedia
Now that we’ve gotten the introductions out of the way it’s important to recognize if you’re in the friend zone or not. Here are some funny pictures depicting the infamous friend zone. If you’re still unsure if you’re in the friend zone, check out this article.
Now, I’ll assume if you’re still reading you’ve come to the cold hard truth that you’re currently in the friend zone with someone you have sexual feelings for. This is very common with people that are extremely shy or passive when it comes to dating. This also occurs quite often when one person is much more attractive than the other (take the photo above for example). I’ve compiled several different ways to try and break out of the friend zone and several tips for avoiding it in the future.
Avoiding the Friend Zone
Avoid getting too close too quickly. While a good friendship is important in a relationship, don’t be on call at all times to answer relationship problems they may be having. It’s also crucial to recognize if you have sexual chemistry or not. If you aren’t exchanging flirty actions throughout the first few encounters, it’s very likely that you’ll end up in the friend zone. Body language and touch is extremely important in these situations. It’s crucial that you don’t force anything, but notice that you can give a little back rub from time to time, or put your arm around them. Try walking closer and encourage lots of touching and playfulness. See how they react and base your next moves off of it. It’s vital that you’re able to notice the signsthat she is putting off. If she seems interested, don’t hesitate or avoid a one on one encounter, instead, make a move! Lastly, make her feel special and try to encourage one on one time. It’s important that you show that you enjoy time alone with her/him and that you are interested in her.
Breaking the Friend Zone
So now you’ve already dug your hole and you want to see if there is any chance of getting out. There are several options as to getting out of the dreaded friend zone.
Let their friends know: If you’re close to their friends you can hint at them that you have a crush on the person. You can even ask their opinion on the situation, this can be a good opportunity to get some good advice and hint at the same time.
Body Language: This refers to flirting and entering the other persons ‘space’ from time to time. This entails being a little more touchy-feely when you’re together and moving closer when you’re sitting or walking around. It’s important to be able to recognize if you’re making the other person uncomfortable or not, don’t go overboard and create an awkward situation!
One on One & Talking: It’s good to plan some one on one with the person. Try and let them know that you really enjoy time alone with them.
Eye Contact: Eye contact could be one of the most important factors when it comes to flirting, attraction, and authority. It’s important to maintain eye contact as much as you can without being creepy or just staring them down. You want to show comfort and passion in the way you look at them.
Talking: The last thing that can really get you out of the friend zone is the old fashion confession. This is when you just come out (hopefully in a one on one situation) and tell the person that you have feelings for them. This is usually very risky and could end with extreme awkwardness. The best way to go about doing this is subtly mention if the other person can picture the two of you as a couple. Something along the lines of "hey we get along great, do you see us being a couple?". Typically this approach will allow for you to throw it out there while remaining friends if the person says no. Along with talking and aside from confessing your dying love for the person is flirting. Try to suggest some sexual jokes and begin to mention things that could involve the two of you. Do this subtly as you don’t want to all of a sudden come out too forward, but this will help you ease into a more flirtatious relationship.
There is another article on WikiHow that does a great job of breaking down how to get out of the friend zone as well. See the article.
Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for fun memes and messages about the singles community!
Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for fun memes and messages about the singles community!
Arthur G. Bahr
Social Instigator for...