For those who fear commitment, a situationship may seem like an ideal scenario. However, it can be a frustrating place to be when you're seeking a genuine relationship. Many individuals are in such non-committed relationships without even realizing it, making it necessary to identify the situation as the first step towards leaving it. So, what exactly is a situationship, and how do you know if you're in one?
1. What Is A Situationship?
A situationship is an undefined, low-key arrangement that resembles a relationship without any commitment. It involves two individuals seeing each other casually, with no commitment from either party. While some individuals enjoy situationships since they offer some relationship benefits without emotional involvement, many others would prefer to transform their situationship into a genuine relationship.
2. How Do You Know If You're In A Situationship?
Defining a situationship can be challenging because it's neither a relationship nor a "friends with benefits" arrangement. The easiest approach to determine if you're in one is to look for signs that indicate it's more than a "friends with benefits" relationship but less than a committed relationship.
3. There Are No Relationship Milestones
If you're in a situationship, one of the most apparent indications is the lack of relationship milestones. Defining the relationship, meeting each other's parents, exchanging keys, moving in together, and getting engaged are some examples of these milestones. Situationships usually don't progress in this way, and instead, they remain stagnant. This lack of forward movement can be frustrating for those who desire more from the relationship.
4. You're Not Exclusive
Exclusivity is usually an assumed aspect of most relationships, but situationships are not exclusive. Many people in a situationship don't feel the need to disclose that they're dating other people, and they don't view it as cheating because there's no commitment. Unlike open relationships where boundaries are established through communication, situationships don't take the other person's feelings into consideration, and there are no obligations.
5. There Are No Labels
Situationships don't typically have labels, and the term is relatively new. The person you're in a situationship with won't introduce you as their girlfriend or boyfriend, and the two of you won't discuss the nature of your relationship. Instead, your relationship will exist without clear labels or boundaries.
What Does It Mean To Be In A Situationship?
1. You Don't Integrate Into Each Other's Lives
Relationships that exist in a "situationship" are often limited to the time the two people spend together. They rarely extend into the rest of their lives, such as meeting each other's friends and family, bringing one another to events, or considering each other as a permanent presence. Essentially, their connection is restricted to the moments when they're physically together, without any other connection outside of that.
2. There's No Routine
Unlike traditional relationships that operate around set routines, situationships tend to be much more fluid. Rather than having designated date nights or specific schedules, the two people involved in a situationship see each other whenever their schedules allow. There's no real consistency or formality to it.
3. Your Plans Are All Last-minute
In a situationship, planning is often done at the last minute, and the two people involved aren't each other's top priority. They only see each other when it works for both of them, and it's more acceptable to cancel at the last minute if something else comes up. In a situationship, behavior that would be considered disrespectful in a traditional relationship is more acceptable because there's no commitment.
4. You Don't Talk About The Future
Conversations about the future are typically avoided in situationships. As the relationship is casual and unchanging, discussing their status or where they are headed may be uncomfortable. If one person wishes to transition to a real relationship, they may initiate a conversation about the future. However, if the other person is content with the current arrangement, they may not want to engage in that discussion.
5. There Are No Deep Conversations
Situationships often lack deep conversations. This type of relationship is not primarily about emotional connection. Therefore, discussions tend to be superficial, if they occur at all. The absence of profound conversations is typical of situationships.
6. But There's More Connection Than A "Friends With Benefits" Relationship
Despite their limitations, situationships tend to involve more emotional connection than strictly "friends with benefits" relationships. Friends with benefits typically only engage in discussions regarding their physical relationship. Conversely, individuals in a situationship may converse about other topics and hang out together, similar to couples. However, the level of intimacy is not as deep as it would be in a romantic relationship.
