Would you ever be in the type of relationship that you can't explain and that you know well such affairs can't be defined categorically? In fact, does not fall into the affairs of a boyfriend, a girlfriend thing, a fiancée or husband, or any sort of relationship, but besides the situation, you people are experiencing fun together and have never discussed a future together. Then chances are you are in a situationship.
But what exactly is the situationship?
Author and psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert have come up with the definition of situationship as "A situationship is that space between a committed relationship and something that is more than a friendship,"
"Unlike friends with benefits or relationship, there isn't consensus on what it is," Author Alpet says, as quoted by NBC news.
Relationship experts have attributed the cause of the trend to a choice of the millennials who are looking for a free and liberal style of dating. Either way, not knowing the stand of the relationship can be stressful and cause nervousness, especially for partners who would wish to have commitments.
"This vagueness often leads one person to feel frustration, anxiety, resentment, uncertainty, helpless, and depression," says author Jonathan Alpert.
These free-styled relationships are becoming more common in modern times as young people take a long time in spinsterhood and bachelorhood or decide to avert from long-term commitments. It should be clarified that a situationship is different from a casual relationship, where people look for fringes or hook up just for the main purpose of committing sexual encounters, usually with minimal romantic touches.
In the parameters of situationship, there is a deep connection between two people in which things are getting blurred between open relationships and defined love affairs.
In most cases, situationship implies the transformation when the two lovers are in the process of reaching deeper commitments but does not entail that all situationships move into successful relationships. Some people become stuck and stranded in the middle of the road.
What are the situationship signs to look at?
No indication you are couples
One of the situationship signs is that the two people are deeply connected, but sadly neither the friends nor the family knows about the other person. Though it starts in the direction of seeking a strong relationship among the people at a certain point, the idea gets murky and unexplainable. Not only that the person is indescribable in terms of dating status, but there are no footprints on social media indicating signs that they are dating.
Borings and inconsistency
There are chances that people who are stuck in a situationship are going to be bored due to limited approaches plus inconsistency of text messages, regular dates, and phone calls or text messages which would lead to anxiousness.
Additionally, chances are high; you just hang out in places boomed up with partners holding their hands, and you will wish the same but such existing dryness will indicate what is going on and obviously dictate the situationship signs.
No clear relationship
At a certain point, relationships will hit moments of vagueness, particularly with undefined boundaries with a dating status.
Exclusivity might be needed, and the dialogue to define the parameters of the relationship will be a priority. Yet a relationship that lasts longer than three to six months will automatically become a situationship.
Meanwhile, one of the partners dating each other would require taking a step to initiate the move, and one partner would need to ask such sensitive questions referring to the directions in which they are heading to.
Immediate gratification
A serious engagement among the dating people will involve disclosures of future plans as the two people reveal private information to each other without fear.
Future plans might include travel plans, planning new investments, or a new friend. On the flip side of things, one of the situationship signs is small talk that is limited to the surface level and ends in sexual gratification.
Lack of plans
Besides the lack of a clear stand of relationship, the situationship signs will characterize a lack of investment and time to know each other. But the red flags or the situationship signs will be visibly seen through the thin lines of inconsistencies and unplanned encounters.
When this happens, just know it is a big indicator that the person is not interested in forging committed relationships. And conversely, people who are interested in making committed relationships will be looking to impress someone they are interested in.
How to turn to speedily turn a situationship into a relationship
The risk is that if you liked them, you are going to be blinded or misguided by their words and actions, a factor which might even push you harder into fear and as a result, you will backslide towards telling them about your feelings.
Either way, the person you may want to draw in maybe still want to be single for some time. By making some moves, however, the person will tell you or indicate their stand. What to do, then?
Asking what they want
You might feel happy with the situationship, yet you want to commit to the relationship, but you are always withdrawn from your energy because the other side is not committing. Then it is a good time to sit with your partner and express the feelings you have for them.
Conversation and seeing each other more
One of the ways to turn situationship into a relationship is to talk often and see others multiple times. This can be a deal breaker only if you can both find time to sit together and talk and see each. By spending time together, the relationship will be strengthened, and hence the chances of turning situationship into a serious relationship are high.
Indicate what you want
Chances are that things won't work out if you camouflage your feelings, yet there is nothing wrong with speaking about what you want in the relationship. You need to show both open and covert signs indicating that you are willing to fall into a serious relationship.
Introduce them to your family
If you want the situationships to turn into a serious relationship, it is time that you start inviting them to your friend zones and then bring them into the family. This will make them realize the serious trend that the relationship is likely to turn into.
Final thought
A situationship may turn into a relationship successfully, but it is important to see if both of you are on the same page regarding the point of feelings. And it is necessary to initiate the "Define -The-Relationship conversation" so as to know what is going on.