There he is. Sitting three seats away from you in your Intro to Psychology class. He always has his headphones in drowning out the same boring lecture your professor gives every class. As you pan through the lecture hall, you two lock eyes. You both have a sly smirk on each other’s faces as you look away. And just like that; you have a crush.
No matter how old you are, whether you’re in college or kindergarten, we all have had, will have or is currently infatuated with a crush. Developing a crush on someone is one of the most pleasant yet nerve-wrecking things that both guys and girls go through. Most people become shy around their “crushes” and become too fearful to approach them. Those “crushing” tend to admire their crush from a distance; whether it be at the rec center, class or at a party.
Approaching someone who you are very attracted to isn’t easy but I have come up with five ways to avoid getting crushed by your crush.
- Be Confident!
Often times, we don’t approach our crushes because we think that they are out of our league. Stop having this mentality! There is no such thing as a “league” in the world of dating. Start telling yourself that you are beautiful and anyone (including your crush) would be lucky to date you.
- Do not idolize your crush!
If you’ve developed a crush on someone on campus or in your local community, they are NOT celebrities. They are just like you. College students just trying to get an education. Stop placing your crush on a pedestal. Doing so will only make them seem perfect and unattainable. Don’t get caught up on who you want your crush to be rather than who they really are. These high expectations of people almost always lead to disappointments.
- Be honest with yourself and with your crush!
Do NOT try to deny your feelings. Denying your feelings just makes them grow stronger. Be honest with yourself and your feelings. Know what you want and go get it. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy.
- Keep communication between you and your crush on a personal level!
In our social media filled world, it is easy to communicate with each other behind a phone or computer screen. Do NOT keep your communication with your crush via Twitter, text message or any instant messaging application. Communicating this way is very impersonal and can cause confusion. Text messages can unintentionally convey a message not the way you intended it to be read. Face-to-face interaction, FaceTime or phone calls are always better than typed out messages.
- If your crush doesn’t feel the same way, don’t take it personal!
In some cases, your crush will like you back but that is not always the case. Alas, everyone is not going to like you. Rejection is a part of life. Telling someone how you feel about them and not receiving reciprocated feelings can be very embarrassing but don’t panic! Applaud yourself for having the courage to be honest with someone. It is a lot better to live life with “oh well’s” than “what if’s”. Keep it moving! On to the next one!