As humans, we all like to be with others. We are not made to be isolated and would rather live together with others. This might help explain why in life we need to make friends and no one wishes to be alone. There are different kinds of friendship, and they each play a major role in our lives. Most people tend to have many platonic relationships.
Finding someone to be in a loving relationship with is not always easy for everyone. In many relationships, there tends to be ups and downs. In some cases, many have been forced to either lose their platonic friends or partner. This is because most of the time, relationships tend to face hurdles because of influence from platonic friendships. When people get into serious relationships like marriage, they oftentimes have to lose platonic friends, but this should not always be the case. Here is how you can make a platonic relationship work.
Content Compass
Discuss Your Feelings with the Other Person
It is quite reasonable to state that a relationship must not be sexual for it to have meaning. Without physical intimacy in the equation, the friendship is still important to your life. Without knowing it, the time you spend with your platonic friends may play a role in your wellbeing. You should make it a priority to talk to the other person before building your friendship further. Knowing what each party is looking for in a relationship will ensure that your platonic friendship does not face challenges.
Show Your Partner That It Is Not a Big Deal
As stated earlier, many relationships tend to end because of platonic friendship. In many instances, your partner may be concerned with the amount of time you spend with some of your friends, especially those of the opposite sex. Jealousy is quite common in a relationship and it tends to come naturally. For your relationship to last, you need to make sure that your partner knows the nature of the friendship. You can invite him or her when you meet your platonic friends. This will be key in showing your partner that he or she should not feel threatened by the given friendship. There is still more you can learn about platonic friendships. Here is a useful reference on the topic.
Boundaries
For any platonic relationship to work, there is a need for boundaries. As we all know, for a relationship to be platonic, there is no physical intimacy involved. To achieve this, you need to set clear boundaries from the beginning of the relationship. It is not a must for both of you to state the boundaries literally, but it may be natural. Those involved should know that there are things one should not do and certain topics that should not be brought up. If those involved are unable to keep certain boundaries, then the platonic friendship is no more.
Be Honest With Yourself
It is necessary to be honest with yourself when it comes to maintaining a platonic relationship. You may not be having a physical affair, but you might have an emotional affair. This is very likely to create trouble with the relationship with your partner. If you end up preferring to be with your platonic friend more than your partner, then your relationship may be in trouble.
Conclusion
It is important to talk to your partner about how he or she is feeling towards your platonic relationships. You can seek professional help if you are having trouble maintaining your platonic relationships.