Blurring the lines between a friendship and a relationship can be a risky business. Chances are, if you have come to GoMarry.com to read this post, you are already asking the question. Have I blurred the lines between friendship and a relationship and how do I go back to purely platonic?
Communication and Boundaries
Every relationship, whether it is a friendship or a relationship needs open lines of communication and clear consistent boundaries. If you find yourself developing romantic feelings towards a friend. And you are blurring the lines, you will need to address it with your friend. Helping them understand that you are adding some distance because of your romantic feelings. It will help them understand that it is not something they did, but rather your need to get the friendship back onto a platonic plane.
Don’t Get Physical
Avoiding romantic relationship type behavior in your platonic friendship enforces boundaries and makes sure no one is blurring the lines. That means no late-night dinners alone together, no exchanging of extremely personal gifts, and no physical affection other than a platonic touch like a peck on the cheek as a greeting. Hugging, cuddling, and other forms of physical touch is one of the quickest ways to blur the lines between friendship and a relationship.
Your Partner Should Be Present
If you are involved romantically with a partner and you feel that the lines becoming blurred with a friend, up to your partner game. You should try and involve your partner in all aspects of that particular friendship to regain balance and ensure that you do not damage both the friendship and your relationship. Practice physical contact with your partner and distant contact with your friend to reestablish the boundaries in your friendship dynamic.
Read More: Emotional Intelligence: Become the Pinnacle of Restraints
Stop the Texts
Unless it is absolutely necessary you should stop the late-night texts and overly personal text shares. Innocent flirtations may seem like exactly that, innocent, but when it is coupled with spending time with your friend it may begin to blur the lines of friendship. By not texting and not oversharing you effectively reinforce your personal boundaries and ensure that you are not confusing your temporary feelings for something that may destroy your friendship.
Conclusion
There are many circumstances that can make us feel vulnerable and confuse us to blurring the lines between friendship and a relationship. Reestablishing your boundaries by including your partner, limiting physical touch, and openly communicating with your platonic friend may help to bring your friends back in line. Ultimately you will need to ask yourself whether it is worth potentially destroying your friendship for the sake of a temporary feeling. When communicating with your friend, aware to not feel the same way you do. You will need to accept that they may need some time and space to process their own feelings about the situation. Rest assured that in time, all things heal and your friendship eventually will too.
