In honour of Valentine’s Day, I will share with you the totally relatable 8 stages of having a crush.
No doubt that everyone who has ever lived has had a crush on somebody before. It’s just apart of life. Don’t tell me you don’t catch feelings because we all know it’s a lie. Even though you might not want to admit the feelings you’ve had for a few specific people, you’ve still had them. And as embarrassing as the memories may be, just remember: there are other people facing the same situation! So, why don’t we laugh it off together?
Starting from the very beginning, stage one: realization.
This is when it hits you. It may not be the first time you’ve see them, it might be the one-hundredth time, but the truth is realization could happen at any given time. This is when you start to notice all the things you’ve never noticed before. It’s also when you begin to stare at them in class and in the hallways. You’ll know something is starting to form when you realize 3 things. First, they’re constantly on your mind. Two, you purposely want to see them all the time and three, you can’t help but stare at them. If you’ve got all three checked off, oh boy, buckle in because this is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Then, the inevitable stage two: stalking them on social media, duh.
Obviously, this is the unavoidable part of any crush. After you find out their name, what else do you do except take out your trusty cell phone and immediately search them up on Instagram and Snapchat? Before you even know it, you’ve already scrolled down to a post from 85 weeks ago and are well aware of who their exes are and probably know if they have any pets or not. That’s okay, you’re definitely not alone. There are two types of people in this world; people who stalk their crushes on social media and liars. I mean, how else are you going to find out this information?
Once you’ve got your eyes on them, here comes the third stage: confusion.
Once you’ve got a good idea of who this person is, you’ll have to make a decision: do you like them or not? There’s a big difference between thinking that someone is attractive and actually having a crush on them. This is a messy stage because it requires you to sort out your feelings. Figure out if it’s an “oh-they’re-kinda-cute” or an “OH-THEY’RE-REALLY-CUTE”. Trust me, this is easier said than done. In my opinion, I wouldn’t suggest asking people for advice at this point. Talking about it with your friends could possibly expose you to various biased ideas on that person. You want to make a choice without prejudice. If the people you’re chatting with has strong opinions for or against your possible crush, it would influence how you think. But if you insist on seeking help, do whatever you feel but don’t let your judgement be clouded for this stage!
After having your emotions sorted out, you get to move on to stage number four: talking about it and seeking advice.
At this point, you can start to talk to friends about it. Side effects of this stage include many, many, many jokes being made about you and your crush. But along with those, you receive some pretty good advice too. Peps talks and reassurance is exactly what friends are for. It takes the workload off of you for a little while since you’ll be getting help with your decisions. It’s also a crucial step because now, you’ll have people to find out information for you. Your friends suddenly will become agents specialized in finding out everything you need to know about your crush.
The embarrassingly weird fifth stage: casting them as a character in one of your daydreams.
No one likes to talk about this stage, but everyone experiences it. It’s when you imagine what it would be like if you were dating them or possibly even married to them depending on how hard you’re crushing. Like social media stalking, you’re not alone in this! Having daydreams about your crush is probably as old as time itself! It’s not weird (well, maybe a little), it’s all apart of the process. Don’t force yourself to imagine scenarios starring you and your crush, but also don’t force it away! Let it flow naturally, Cupid knows what he’s doing.
The sixth stage is finally taking action.
This part is the hardest. It takes the most courage and guts to do. Whether there are any further stages all depend on what happens in this stage. This is where it all adds up to. Take a breath, you can do it. Talk about anything and everything, just don’t talk about nothing. You’ve already gotten the chance to figure out why you like them and now it’s your opportunity to show them why they should like you. This is the real start.
Ah, the grand seventh stage: La La Land.
Based on how your previous stage went, you either continued to stage seven or ended it at stage six. If you’ve made it this far, welcome! Stage seven is the longest of all the stages. It’s where you’ve already gotten it all figured out and you’re simply sitting back and waiting for them to make a move. It’s a happy time if you let it be one. Smiling whenever you think of them, heart pounding whenever you speak to them. Maybe even looking at them with googly eyes.
Big finale stage eight ends in a variety of ways, depending on who you are. The feelings could eventually die down and they just become one of those embarrassing memories you lie awake at midnight cringing about. Or, if you bribed cupid, you could even end up dating them! I’m just kidding. If the odds really want you two to be together, don’t worry, you will. But if not, then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. And in that case, do whatever you can to make sure they know what they missed out on.
Liking someone is a basic part of human life, what are you gonna do? There’s no prevention of it, but let me send you out there with some tips. If it doesn’t work out, don’t be too hung up on it. Remember, they are just a temporary part of your life. People come and go, so don’t even stress it.
