Is the friend zone a real thing? Yes. It is a name given to those who find themselves boxed into a friendship with their desired person rather than being in a romantic relationship. Sadly, friendzone can be very frustrating if you want something serious. 

But how do you know if your relationship status has switched to friend zoned? No matter whichever side you are on, before you waste more time in a relationship that isn't working, here are some crucial friend zone indicators to look out for.

1. Display of less intimacy

Intimacy is an important component of a relationship. There are moments when your life has no room for sex, and other times; you can’t think about anything but sex. There comes a time when you aren’t interested in grabbing every opportunity to spend time with your partner. 

This is probably the best time to sit down and have an honest conversation if you notice a lack of sexual contact or chemistry between you two. However, it is important to keep in mind that using condoms during preventative sex is necessary if you engage in sexual activity.

2. Finding excuses 

It is crucial to spend time with friends and family while not with your partner, but if you or your partner find yourself doing this a lot to avoid being at home, it's time to talk about what you both need and want out of the relationship. Spending time with your lover should make you happy, not like a chore.

3. Lack of attraction 

In the initial days of a relationship, keeping your hands off one another would seem impossible. However, busy schedules, work, and lives naturally get in the way, and the longer you spend together, the less of a necessity it becomes to engage in sexual activity every single day. If this ceases, it can appear that you are moving toward friendship.

4. Sharing who they like 

Making someone else jealous is one of the most popular and oldest dating customs. If your partner, out of the blue, starts to share their thoughts and feelings about another person overly, chances are, you are in the friend zone.  

5. Complaining about everything 

When someone is often complaining to you about everything, it's one of the strongest indicators that they are in the friend zone. It is a universal truth that friends are one of the best ways to vent frustrations or talk about disappointments. 

However, without romantic interest, there’s no filtration for their complaints or holding backing from sharing negative life experiences, which is not a good sign. 

6. Lack of effort 

We all have days when we just can’t be bothered to make much effort for our partner, which is completely understandable. However, when this continues, and your partner stops trying to make an effort to impress you, then this is the sign. 

While it is quite easy to slip apart into the routine where you only see your partner when they are available, someone who thinks of you as a potential love interest will put in the effort to ensure you that they are continuously showing interest. 

After all, who wants to be with someone unsure of where they stand with them or the relationship?