The 3 Times You Should Share Your Feelings With Your Partner
Love is in the air, but when neither you nor your significant other want to admit it, the air can grow stale pretty quick. So how do you know when it is the right time to get all mushy-gushy with your significant other and admit your feelings? Well, most of the time you don’t.
1. Stop trying to read the signs
Love may be a journey, but it is not a highway. There won’t be an exit sign that tells you where to turn and where to get off. Go with your instincts. You can detect if someone shares somewhat the same feelings as you, so don’t wait for “the signs.” Reveal your feelings when you want to. The planets aren’t going to align and you won’t hear singing from the heavens. You just have to feel it out for yourself and decide what’s right for you. If your heart and your brain are telling you that you should just tell him or her how you feel, then do it. If you’re heart and your brain are telling you two separate things, then maybe you should wait until they get on the same page. Feelings are best admitted to your S.O. often when you’re not even thinking about it. Sometimes they just sort of get blurted out. Don’t over think things and don’t wait for miraculous occurrences. Just do you.
2. Labeling
Why do we feel the need to label? People are not soup cans. If the only reason you want to admit your feelings to your S.O. is because you want to put a label on your relationship, then don’t. Relationships don’t always need labels. The guy you really like doesn’t have to be “your boyfriend,” and you shouldn’t feel pressured to call him that. All relationships are unique. If you both enjoy each other’s company and can make one another happy, then isn’t that the most important factor? We only use labels to clarify or justify our relationship to everyone else, but who cares about everyone else? If you and your S.O. are happy then that’s all that matters. When you start becoming unhappy is when you need to change things up, and think about what the two of you are doing in your relationship.
3. Under pressure
It is often the case that when you reveal your feelings to your S.O. it adds unnecessary or unintended pressure to the relationship. Three simple words like, “I love you,” can weigh heavy on the person you say them to, especially the first time. If your S.O. doesn’t reciprocate the feelings you finally admit to them, it doesn’t mean they hate you, and it also doesn’t mean they want to toss you to the curb immediately. Sometimes people reach certain points of a relationship more quickly than others. Your S.O. may not have hit the four letter word (L-O-V-E) point as fast as you did, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they will never reach it. Being able to communicate your feelings takes not only courage, but a lot of thought. To build that courage and thought takes time. So don’t always expect to hear the same words back. When you reveal your feelings remember that they are your feelings, and you revealed them when you were ready. So have the same courtesy for your S.O. and respect that they will share their feelings when they are ready.