You recently discovered that you have romantic feelings for your friend, and miraculously, they feel the same. However, you are worried that as you begin to date, and become physically intimate, things may begin to get weird. Maybe it will get so weird that it could hurt your bond.
Take a breath, be bold and enjoy this new adventure. Everything that is good in life is worth a bit of risk. Dating a friend can be a blessing, you already know and trust each other. This can let you guys more freely explore your romance. If you are still nervous, here are five helpful tips.
- Be Forthcoming: When to flirt with your friend, be subtle to see how they respond. Don’t play games. Be honest with your feelings even though it might feel scary. Your friend might just surprise you and be thrilled you took this romantic initiative.
- Be Honest with Yourself: Dating a friend can be difficult, especially if it doesn’t work out. Ask yourself questions about how and why your feelings for this person changed. Are you pursing them for pure intentions, or because you are feeling jealous or insecure?
- Go Slow: Shifting the relationship dynamic can be hard to navigate, especially at first. Physically acts like kissing feel messy and odd your first couple of time. Don’t be in a rush, or do anything to place pressure on either person. Be forth coming with your feelings and have honest discussions. Work together to process this change.
- Ease Your Mutual Friends into the Change: Friends can find this romantic shift also awkward to process. They may worry that if something goes wrong with the relationship, they will feel like they have to choose sides. Give them time to find how they want to interact with your new relationship. If you need advice turn to friends with minimal bias.
- Be Realistic: No relationship is ever easy. Just because you were friends before doesn’t mean you won’t have the typical couple arguments or misunderstandings. Work as a team to make sure both of your needs and expectations are being met.
