We have all been there, sitting in class, staring at the back of someone’s head until finally he turns around and you have that woah moment. The daydreams start, your heart rate picks up and pretty soon that stranger becomes the one thing on your mind. But when is the time to stand down? Better yet, when should you just go for it?
Liking someone is hard, but figuring out whether or not he’s worth going for shouldn’t be. Follow these helpful tips to know what you deserve, because in the end, a crush should never crush you.
Newly Single? Nix the butterflies
So you’ve finally gotten to the sweet point of actually knowing the name and some personal details about your crush. You’re exchanging stories and things are looking up, until she casually tells you of her recent-found appreciation for fire because she’s been burning every trace of her ex.
This is where you pause. You’re staring at your fork in the road, wondering whether her good looks and overall charm outweigh that little twitch of anger you see every time you look into her eyes. It might be difficult, but you have to do what’s best for you in the long run.
When you press play again, run for the hills before your life ends up looking like an episode of Law & Order. Take solace in knowing that most of the gifts you’ve given haven’t been thrown into a fire. You’ll thank yourself later.
Proceed with Caution in the Workplace
Now this can’t be the first time that you’ve been warned about staying away from a co-worker romance. It’s basically common sense to cross your boss off of the list too. But what happens when you start to develop serious feelings for one of the two?
The truth is that it is a sticky situation any way you slice it. But because you likely spend a lot of time with the people you work with, it is also an extremely understandable one. The best route to go when crushing on someone in the workplace is to just think of your future.
Getting fired is a huge possibility to consider when pursuing your office crush. The other possibility is that things don’t work out and you still have to see that person every single day. The rule of thumb is to gauge how permanent you feel the relationship would be: if the romance could seriously outlast the job, that’s when you take the risk.
Heed the Red Flags
We, as human beings, are naturally rational. We find every which way to break down what happens in our lives to best understand them. The bad part is that rationalization can also be what tells us to chase after someone we know will just let us down at the end of the day.
Since that’s pretty deep, you can think of it this way: if your conscience can comfortably let you eat eight pounds of Taco Bell when you’re starving, then it can also lead you to believe that dating someone with a completely opposite moral agenda is okay.
Now is the time to recognize how irrational we can be when blinded by what we want. Cut the crap and realize what you need, because red flags are there to steer you away from the drug addict or the guy failing out of school and toward something better. Don’t eat Taco Bell when you deserve Olive Garden at the very least.
So now you know all of the signs of a bum crush, but when should you actually go for the guy?
Trust your instincts if you feel a connection
This is the time to listen to that intuitive bone you know is in you somewhere. Ask yourself, “Do I give off certain vibes when I have feelings for someone?” The answer is pretty simple: of course you do. So, if you notice little hints that your crush may have similar feelings, then go with your gut and speak up.
You either walk out hand-in-hand with the person of your dreams, or you inevitably boost your self-confidence because you actually put yourself out there. In the end, you’re awesome with or without your crush, so what do you really have to lose?
