How To Start A FWB Arrangement And Get The Full Benefits?
Making a FWB arrangement work is easier said than done. In fact, it is one of the most difficult things to achieve in modern dating. It is quite a unique arrangement, it involves a lot of sex without any romantic feelings getting in the way - or it is supposed to be at least!
After all, friends with benefits arrangement is quite complex, especially compared to conventional dating. As the name suggests, it involves two friends that enjoy each other's company, share a mutual attraction. And happen to want to have no-strings sex together, all without the complications of a romantic relationship.
While it is difficult to find a FWB in real life, you can try dating sites like FWBdatingonly that can help you to find a FWB partner. And that is not the hardest part, as making this type of arrangement work is arguably more challenging! Understandably a commitment-free friends with benefits situation can be hard to maintain. Things tend to get complicated very quickly, often because the people involved did not know what to expect from it.
So, it helps to know a few things before you start a FWB arrangement to give it the best chance to work out!
Open Communication from the Beginning
It is vital to talk about what you both want from the arrangement before you even start. Communication is key to any type of relationship, including the friends with benefits relationship. You must take the time to chat about what you both want from it.
Be open and honest with each other to ensure your expectations are clear from the offset. With you both knowing what you are from a FWB situation, it makes it easier to keep it going and not get hurt from misunderstandings or unreasonable expectations.
Keep Things Casual
It is called friends with benefits for a reason. You get all the advantages of a good friendship but with the added benefit of no-strings sex. This means it differs greatly from a normal romantic relationship, so you will want to keep things much more casual to ensure it is a proper FWB arrangement.
For example, you should avoid texting every day like you would with a romantic partner. Keep this contact at the same level as before you started the FWB arrangement, whether it's a few texts a week or chatting every other day.
Thinking of inviting them as your plus-one to a party or special occasion? Maybe think twice about these. You can quickly change the dynamic of the arrangement when introducing your FWB to people in your wider work or social circles.
Do not Spend too Much Time Together
Following on from the previous point, to keep things casual you should limit often you see each other for sex. Yes, you both mind enjoy having a lot of sex but once you start spending too much time together it is more likely that one or both of you start getting more attached.
Therefore, it is a good idea to have a chat before you start enjoying the benefits together. You can both decide how often you should be seeing each other. Try limit it to a few times per week to ensure you keep things casual, while also allowing for an occasional random hook up from time to time.
Consider Avoiding Sexless Sleepovers
If your hook-ups occur later at night, then it's okay to enjoy the odd sleepover together. We recommend avoiding it to ensure those feelings develop in between the sheets. Things can get surprisingly intimate when sharing a bed for stuff other than sex.
In fact, you may want to avoid sleepovers all together to ensure things remain firmly casual, otherwise romance could start developing before you realise it. Of course, everyone is different and if you are consistent, you can enjoy sleepovers without things getting complicated, then go for it. This is why its good to chat first before you start anything!
Always Practice Safe Sex
Remember, this is a type of casual relationship, which means you are both open to have sex with other people whenever you want. So, safe sex is a must because you could each have different partners in-between your dalliances.
Moreover, condom-less sex is incredibly intimate, being something that tends to occur mostly in a relationship, rather than a friends with benefits arrangement.
Plus, you are likely going to be having plenty of spontaneous sex, so it always helps to have some condoms available so you are always ready to have safe sex!
Be Mindful of Jealousy
The entire purpose of a FWB arrangement is being able to enjoy non-committal sex with a person you like. There should be no romance or romantic feelings developing, while you are both free to enjoy and explore things with other people.
Basically, there is a chance you or your friend will have other partners, meaning the possibility of the worst negative emotion you can have in a FWB arrangement - jealousy.
Once either of you start feeling jealous, it goes against the entire purpose of a non-committed sexual relationship. FWB arrangements are supposed to be fun and exciting, and jealousy is neither of these. If this feeling arises for either of you it may be time to re-evaluate the situation.
This may involve ending the FWB situation all together. You could be open about your developing feelings to see where they stand. It is always best to address emotions early rather than letting them fester over time, as this may lead to negative feelings down the line.
Know When to Call it a Day
While this is all about making friends with benefit arrangement work, the truth is that every FWB situation has a shelf-life. Eventually, you will both move on to something else, whether it's a relationship with someone new or just ending your benefits together and resuming a normal friendship.
In any case, don't be afraid to know when to call it a day. Chemistry only lasts so long in these situations, and once things lose their fun and excitement it is probably a good time to start winding down the FWB arrangement.