A friend zone is the most undesirable place you want to be if you love someone. Many see the friend zone as an unsafe place full of mystery. As a result, getting out may look impossible. But if you use the right strategies and techniques, you will be out in no time.
The friend zone place shelters people who are friend zoned but aren’t aware yet and those who are aware of their predicament. No matter where you stand on the ladder, this article will help you know how best to get out of the situation and avoid being friend zoned in the future. Enjoy reading!
What is a Friend Zone?
A friend zone is a non-romantic relationship between two people (usually of the opposite sex). One party usually wants to find an escape route and become a romantic partner, while the other wants to remain friends. This is usually common if both parties aren’t physically intimate with each other yet.
The first step to getting out of the friend zone is to know whether you were friend-zoned. Most times, misunderstandings and other arguments between two parties may make you think you were friend zone when you were not.
Therefore, to save you from embarking on a futile journey, the signs to watch out for indicating you have been friend-zoned. Then, after evaluating the signs and you feel any of them describes your situation in a relationship, you may go ahead to explore proven strategies for escaping the friend zone.
How to Know if You Are Friend Zoned
Perhaps you are unsure if your crush has kept you in the friend zone. Not to worry, keep reading to find out!
- You are Just like a Sibling
Have you ever heard that statement from your crush? If yes, it’s one of the signs you have been kept in a friend zone. If a person sees you as their brother or sister, making them see you as a potential romantic partner may be challenging.
- You Are Taken for Granted
Do they see anything you do for them as usual and don’t show enough gratitude? It might be one of the signs you were friend-zoned. Being on your crush’s “close friends” list could be frustrating. But you won’t be there forever if you take action to escape right now.
- They try to engage you with another person
If your crush tries to set you up with another person so that you and the person can become intimate or fall in love, it shows no romantic string. It also shows that they have no plans to remove you from the friend zone place anytime soon unless you set yourself free.
- They don’t care about their look
A person that doesn’t see you as a prospective romantic partner can dress however they please without caring how you feel. You may have been friend-zoned if your crush doesn’t care about their look in your present or never takes the time to look good to earn your compliment.
- You are their primary source of support
Does your crush see you as a shoulder to cry on and nothing else? Perhaps, they always quick to run to you when they face certain challenges, and they don’t communicate again until they find themselves in another trouble.
This may indicate that they only have friendly intentions for you, irrespective of the feelings you are nursing for them.
- They introduce you to their partner
If your crush introduces you to their boyfriend or girlfriend, it indicates that you may remain in the friend zone for a long time. Few things could be as devastating as falling in love with someone actively in love with another person.
Not until they fall out of love may they never realize the depth of your love for them or consider you a potential romantic mate.
How to Get Out of the Friend Zone: Proven Tips That Work
Getting out of the friend zone may not be as easy as getting into it. But, irrespective of how you found yourself in such an undesirable place, these tips may help you find an escape route and become a romantic catch to your crush once again.
Show Romantic Interest
Perhaps they aren’t into you because you never declared your intentions from the onset. Instead of hoping they will find out themselves, why don’t you set the ball rolling by letting the cat out of the bag?
This is not the best time to play “hide and seek.” If you love someone, let them know how you feel. If you hesitate, another person might do it, and you will painfully watch your crush fall in love with someone else before your eyes.
Avoid Being Too Familiar
You’re mistaken if you think all best friends will eventually turn lovers. Maybe you found yourself in the friend zone because of how you behaved towards her. On the other hand, too much familiarity may make her not see you in a romantic light.
Assuming this was the reason for your friend-zoning, it might be easier to get yourself out. Since you are familiar with them and know their likes and dislikes, it could be easy to build a relationship with them using the knowledge.
An excellent way to do it is to tell them outrightly that you have always liked them even though you never showed it. And their reaction may not surprise you.
Fix Your Confidence Level
Most times, all you need to escape the friend zone is to fix your confidence level. Try rebuilding your self-respect and see how fast it could ride you out of the friend zone.
By increasing your confidence level, you could become more attractive in your crush’s eyes.
Increase Eye and Physical Contact
You can build intimacy and make your crush develop feelings for you by increasing physical touch and eye contact. You can also leverage physical touch to increase the bond of likeness you both share.
Show Lesser Interest
Are you always the first to break any good news to your crush, or you can hardly eat dinner without letting her know? Perhaps, you always check up on here each week to understand how she is faring. But, it’s time to learn to show less interest in your crush.
Let them be the ones to call you or hear from you after a while. The less interest you show hereafter, the more you break out from the friend zone space. You will no longer be seen as needy or love blind.
Ask About Their Relationship
Your crush might prefer you both remain friends, because they are in a serious relationship with another person and do not want to double date. That is why it’s necessary to know your stand in their lives and see if it’s possible to exit the friend zone.
Find Someone Else to Crush on
Most times, your crush might realize how they needed you in their lives and may begin to have feelings for you when they discover you have fallen in love with someone else. This is not a bid to ditch the friendship you both have but to create a competition that makes them wish you were romantically connected.
Show Less Availability
If you have always been there at their beck and call, it may be the right time to let them fight for your attention and availability. Showing up anytime your crush wants to see you may make them view you like a love peddler.
Make a Request
Chances are you will exit the friend zone soon if you ask for a favor and they grant it immediately. This could help you know that your stay in the friend zone might be temporary. On the other hand, if they can grant your wish so fast, they may likely have plans to become romantically connected with you in the future.
Flirt More with Them
Instead of just talking in front of your crush, try to touch their hair and face as you talk. And see how they will react. Flirting is a perfect option when thinking of the safest way to escape the friend zone. You could employ playful teasing and gently caress their hands against yours. Allow the touch to linger for a longer time. And don’t be surprised if they don’t resist your moves.
As you implement these suggestions, ensure to monitor your progress level and see if your efforts are yielding results.
If your crush begins to make more time for you and suddenly develops more interest in you, then your days in the friend zone space are numbered already.
No matter how badly you want to leave the friend zone, it may not be automatic unless you take the time to implement strategies that work and understand your crush. Being friend-zoned is not the end of the world, even if it hurts. So, if your crush doesn’t fall in love after all your efforts, you should also know that you have a friend.
See Also: 40 Romantic Quotes for Her
