Maintaining positive relationships within your personal and professional life can be difficult.
This can sometimes lead to an affair a path that married people take more often than you might think.
Have you become close with a coworker you happen to be attracted to?
What about a friend who is more of a confidant than someone you occasionally hang out with?
Is there someone at your gym who gives you butterflies every time you see them?
It’s possible you’ve already begun engaging in an emotional affair without even realizing it.
First and foremost, what is an emotional affair?
We’ve all heard the typical trope, “But I didn’t kiss her!
What’s the big deal?”
Well, an emotional affairisa big deal, so let’s shed some light on the subject.
So it raises the question just how many people cheat in this capacity?
But, as noted byEvolve Therapy, many emotional affairs start off simply as friendships.
Many workplace relationships are what make our careers feel worthwhile.
This kind of self-justification, however, can only go so far.
“You devote a lot of time texting, emailing, or video calling this person.
When that desire is assigned to another person, it becomes a red flag.
As this person consumes your thoughts, you may begin fantasize about your relationship becoming physical.
They fuel the fire.”
This clashing of feelings often results in the ending of a union.
And if you’re just dating, you might easily go your separate ways.
The same can’t be said for a marriage.
They know you better than anyone, right?
The Guardianspoke to a number of people who’ve been impacted by emotional affairs.
“I realized then that it was her that had come between us.
They had a 3-year-old and had been married for about 12 years when her husband’s emotional affair started.
Therapist Marni Feuerman explained inVerywell Mindthat as people involved in an emotional affair become closer, unfair comparison begins.
“You frequently compare your spouse to this person.
You may find yourself being more critical of your spouse.”
“But really, you’re using this as an excuse to avoid your partner.”
“Examine the extent of the dishonesty and the prevalence of lying in your life in general.
Commit to speaking the truth and being transparent from now on,” Zimmerman concluded.
What you’re left with is the mental and emotional connection you’ve cultivated over the years.
