Modern-day dating comes with its own spectrum of complicated terms and connections. You might be quite familiar with the term “friends with benefits.” What exactly does that mean? Is it good or bad? And more importantly, is it right for you?
The term “friends with benefits” does not have any known exact origin, but it is often used for casual relationships without emotional commitment. In this case, two people meet up and have a sexual relationship without any serious relationship baggage. The basic idea of this concept is that both persons are considered friends who build only sexual relationships and do not indulge in serious and romantic relationships. Some people also often get judged by their friends-with-benefits relationships and failures in FWB, which creates confusion in the people who are willing to be friends with benefits. If you are planning to have a successful FWB, here we will be discussing the top 7 tips for a healthy friend with benefits:
1. Create your own boundaries
It is very important to make things very clear in the beginning and create your boundaries, in the beginning, to know each other’s limits because it is just a casual relationship where you do not expect anything. Talk and understand each other’s expectations. Take your time to understand the relationship, as it should not be serious.
2. Always know each other’s expectations
Just telling your expectations is not the done part of this relationship; you must encourage and get comfortable with each other to share and know what exactly you want out of this relationship. It is always wise to make sure that you are both on the same page.
3. Never ghost each other
It’s ok if things change with time and the relationship you have built with your partner does not have any serious future. But you both started with each other’s consent, so just ghosting suddenly in a friendship with benefits is very unfair to the other partner. If you feel that this relationship is not working for you, it is totally cool to talk it out and end it on good terms. You should not suddenly ghost your partner.
4. Be emotionally mature
In some situations, there is the possibility that a partner accidentally gets serious about the relationship, which means that he or she is not emotionally mature for that relationship or that they want more out of the relationship. If you are really willing to have a FWB relationship with someone, you need to be emotionally mature and ready for that relationship.
5. Choose your partner wisely
You should be very clear about the characteristics of the partner you want for a FWB relationship—someone to whom you are physically attracted rather than emotionally attracted. To have good sexual chemistry, it is very important to choose your partner very wisely. Before deciding to be in a committed relationship, both parties should have good communication and trust each other in order to have a successful relationship.
6. Keep your expectations as low as possible
Setting the least expectations in a friendship with benefits is the key rule of this kind of relationship. Keeping high expectations in FWB is only the failure of that relationship. This is the most casual relationship that the partner expects, so do not expect romantic texts and gifts for each other. Keeping your expectations low will protect you from getting emotionally invested in the relationship.
7. Always remember why you started this
The major benefit of having friends is having a casual, happy sexual relationship. Always prioritize the fact that this relationship is more about having fun and exploring.
Why do People Go For FWB Relationships?
Every person has their own different person reason to initiate friends with benefits. But here are the top 3 reasons why people choose to be friends with benefits:
- Choose to feel more comfortable building a sexual relationship with a friend rather than being in a romantic relationship.
- Choose FWB as an alternative to a serious romantic relationship, as they may not be ready to commit to one.
- Those who expect to evolve their friendship into a romantic relationship, start with FWB to have a strong romantic relationship in the future.
FWB is considered successful only for people who do not want a serious relationship and want to connect with another person to have fun. Being kind and communicating with each other is very important to sustain this kind of relationship. FWB cannot always be a perfect fit for everyone. It can be perfect for people who are comfortable and have a lack of commitment to anyone. It may not be great for people who are very emotional and get easily attached to someone. It might not be a perfect fit for everyone, but in a certain possible way, it is a wonderful, healthy relationship without having a feeling of commitment but with an intention to have fun, be themselves, and explore more.
