Friday, February 25, 2022

"The Red Flags in your own behavior in dating and relationships"/ "The six relationship red flags you should never ignore"

Feb. 18, 2021 "The Red Flags in your own behavior in dating and relationships": I found this article by Naomi Cambridge who is a Relationship coach on Facebook:


There is a lot of talk about the red flags to look out for in a potential partner, but what about the red flags to look out for IN YOUR OWN BEHAVIOUR when you’re dancing around making a new connection with a special someone?!
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For e.g. one person can sleep with a potential partner relatively quickly and feel great about it,

another may have remorse or get attached too quickly clouding their objective judgement.
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Personally I know I can’t have casual sex, I am not able to truly let go and enjoy with someone I don’t know I can trust, so if I end up having sex with someone too quickly this is a red flag for me – to me
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Anyway I digress
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This is about knowing what your own red flags are
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Some common ones are:
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Getting into fantasy or daydreaming about your crush
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Consistently putting your own life second and theirs first- deciding not to go to an activity because they've asked you out on a date. Dropping everything when they want to see you.

Saying yes when you mean no- for ex. you haven't drank in years, but you get drunk because you want to please them.
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You’re not at all over your ex- and you know you're using this new person as a distraction from your feelings about it.
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You want to keep the relationship secret- this one is pretty self- explanatory- if you need to keep it a secret, ask yourself what you're really up to?
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You know you’re not being honest about your feelings and needs: truly ask yourself why? Is it because you fear that who you really are will repel them?
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You find yourself over giving- this could be your time, money, contacts, resources, body, etc. and you feel resentful but can't stop yourself.
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You don’t feel like the best version of yourself when you’re with them- you regularly feel less than or anxious and weird.
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You find yourself doing protest behaviour
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You’re game playing and you know it- you don't want to show them you care so you don't tell them the truth. You pretend you're into things they're into so they'll like you. You're treating them mean to keep them keen.
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It’s vague between you - you're unwilling to have a conversation with them about what the relationship is because you're scared of the truth and you'd rather live in the potential and possibility than the reality.

You’re more concerned about whether they like you than you are about whether they’re showing up well for you- all your attention is on them and whether they're into you rather than on yourself and the objected reality of how this connection feels to you.

Do you relate to any of these?!

Or do you have others that you know signal that you need to really check in with yourself?

I’d love to know in the comments!
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P.S. A good quick antidote to fantasy/daydreaming is - as soon as you catch yourself doing it, bring yourself back into the present moment by naming out loud what you can feel in your body and see in the room.

You may have to repeat it multiple times a day, that’s ok, you’re breaking a habit and creating neural pathways for presence



Sept. 19, 2021 "The six relationship red flags you should never ignore": Today I found this article by Flic Everett on Yahoo News:


Dating shows are balm to our weary post-lockdown brains, full of pretty people in colourful swimwear and wedding outfits, sharing their most mortifying ups and downs with the viewing public. And one of the most enjoyable aspects, of course, is spotting early on who's making a big mistake.

From Love is Blind to Love Island to Married at First Sight, we're all dating experts now, and while we cheer on the successes, there's a sense of smug satisfactions when our grim predictions come to pass. 

Perhaps that's because it's easier to spot 'red flags' in a potential partner when it's not our own hearts on the line.

Relationships coach Melody Chadamoyo says, "a red flag is a sign of danger and in a relationship, it's something your partner does that shows lack of respect, integrity, and interest in your wellbeing - demonstrating that the person would not be able to have a healthy relationship with you."

When it's you being dazzled by hearts and flowers, and declarations of love three days in, it's a lot harder to figure out what's genuine attraction and what's just lust and flattery, and that goes for all of us.

As singles ease back into the dating pool post lockdown, then, they may need a little help - so here are the red flags to watch out for, according to vision experts Lenstore.


1 They spend too much time talking about their ex

Dating and relationships expert Clarissa Bloom comments “I'm firmly in the camp that it's ok to bring up ex-partners if the conversation is relevant, it's not insensitive and won't start a direct argument.”

“But the main area for concern is if they speak highly negatively of their ex," she says. "This could be a sign they haven't fully got over them. Breaking up can be a very hard time and they might want to go on a date to get over their ex-partner, but you shouldn't be used as a tool for them to overcome their ex. 

"They may need some time on their own to fully get over their feelings.”

If he or she still has the ex as a screensaver, and suffers 'mention-itis', talking endlessly about them and their amazing family/friends/house/job, it's a giant neon sign reading 'avoid.'


2 Something in your gut feels wrong

Relationship coach Melody Chadamoyo suggests “Listen to your intuition. Some people spend time writing pros and cons lists to see whether they should be together instead of listening to their intuition." 

“On a date, if you start to feel uncomfortable don’t try to explain it or reason with yourself but rather walk away. Your intuition is always looking out for you. We’ve all said 'I knew this was going to happen' after things have already gone badly. That knowing is your intuition.”

Don't confuse gut feeling with nerves - everyone feels nervous before a date; but intuition is a steady inner voice.


3 They don’t talk through issues

“How you handle disagreements is crucial for how the relationship grows and thrives," says Melody. "In a good relationship, a couple will talk through issues, listening to the other and expressing their own point of view. This allows both parties to feel heard and seen.”

“If something comes up that you don’t agree with, and the person refuses to discuss it this can be a massive red flag.”

If it's early on, it may simply be the case that they're nervous of conflict, but if it persists, consider whether you want to be with someone who can't listen - or even talk - when the going gets tough.


4 Me, me, me

 “If the conversation is purely about one person, this can be a quick red flag," says Bloom. "Both people on the date should be eager to get to know each other, whether that's directly asking questions, or following up an answer with an enquiry back.”

If they're spending more time looking at their phone than looking at you, or holding forth about their own opinions, experiences and thoughts with no interest in yours, it's a serious sign that they're self-obsessed.


5 Whirlwind romance

Chris Pleines, a dating expert from Dating Scout states “Another red flag to watch out for is being trapped into a whirlwind romance.”

“When you haven't build any foundation yet for your relationship but they are already treating you as if you are the love of their life, they are, in fact, lulling you into a false sense of security," he says. "They are just putting up a front and manipulating you into thinking that they are “the one.” 

"Once you fall for them, that's when they start taking advantage of you. They can get away with toxic behaviours in the actual relationship because you are manipulated into thinking they'll go back to being the “perfect” romantic partner you first met.”

If s/he's declared love in the first week and is pushing for moving in within a month, slam on the brakes - and ask why it's all happening to speedily.

The six relationship red flags you should never ignore (yahoo.com)


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