Is a friends with benefits relationship right for you? If you’re thinking about entering into a friends with benefits relationship, there are five key points to keep in mind that’ll help you determine if this casual connection is truly beneficial for you in every respect.
Are you wondering what “friends with benefits” actually means? Perhaps you’ve heard the term come up in movies and TV shows, have seen the acronym FWB or are simply trying to figure out if it’s the right kind of relationship for you. Whatever the case may be, in order to make a friends with benefits relationship work, it’s important to understand what this kind of casual connection truly entails and means.
What is a friends with benefits relationship? In the most basic sense, a friends with benefits relationship is one in which two people are physically intimate with one another, yet they’re not committed to each other in any way. In other words, people involved in a friends with benefits relationship clearly enjoy spending time together and hooking up, but their relationship isn’t romantic and has no strings attached.
1. You’re not looking for a committed relationship with this person. If you want to be friends with benefits with someone, it’s important that you enter into this kind of relationship fully acknowledging, accepting and understanding what this means for both of you.
This person isn’t your boyfriend or girlfriend, and this can have both its advantages as well as disadvantages depending upon your current needs and wants. In this regard, it’s important to recognize that this person isn’t going to be able to provide you with the emotional support and care that are typically demonstrated by a significant other in a committed relationship, such as lending a shoulder to cry on, attending family events and/or spending a romantic evening out together.
Perhaps you’ve heard the term come up in movies and TV shows, have seen the acronym FWB or are simply trying to figure out if it’s the right kind of relationship for you. In other words, people involved in a friends with benefits relationship clearly enjoy spending time together and hooking up, but their relationship isn’t romantic and has no strings attached.
You both enjoy the FWB relationship. In order for a FWB relationship to work out, it has to fulfill your needs as well as his or hers.
If your FWB relationship makes you happy in the moment but then later fills you with regret and disappointment, it’s not the right choice for you. Or if this casual connection is preventing you from putting yourself out there and going after the kind of committed relationship you see for yourself in the long-term, your FWB connection is anything but beneficial.
You and this person are on the same page about your FWB relationship. When you enter into a FWB relationship, you should openly and honestly agree and discuss upon the nature of your connection right from the start.
Along these lines, it’s imperative that you enter into a friends with benefits relationship because it’s what you really want with this other person. You shouldn’t agree to a FWB relationship because it’s the only thing that he or she’s offering you, and/or you’re hoping that you can one day turn your connection into something more. And while it’s certainly possible for a FWB relationship to transition into something more over time, you’re likely heading for heartbreak if this is your goal from the outset.
If you’re thinking about entering a FWB relationship, it’s also important to keep in mind that your connection isn’t a monogamous one. And in addition to protecting your physical health, it’s important that you protect your emotional health by understanding that your FWB relationship can end at any time and for any reason.
When you enter into a FWB relationship, you should openly and honestly agree and discuss upon the nature of your connection right from the start. You shouldn’t agree to a FWB relationship because it’s the only thing that he or she’s offering you, and/or you’re hoping that you can one day turn your connection into something more. If you’re thinking about entering a FWB relationship, it’s also important to keep in mind that your connection isn’t a monogamous one.