21 signs you have sexual tension with someone
Sexual tension is a common phenomenon that is widely acknowledged as being experienced by both men and women, yet it’s largely misunderstood. There are very few studies that have been done on the mechanics of sexual tension, but we all know how it makes us feel. But what exactly is sexual tension? How does it work? And how can you tell if the other person is experiencing it too?
Experts will tell you that the answers lie in our brain chemistry, that what we’re experiencing when we feel sexual tension is the product of estrogens and androgens – the female and male sex hormones, and our innate biological drive to seek pleasure and reproduce.
Ultimately, you feel sexual tension because your brain is firing hormones like adrenaline, dopamine, oxytocin, kisspeptin and norepinephrine around your body. These chemicals can make us feel an incredible mixture of excitement, security and anxiety all at once.
But what actually causes our hormone levels to spike in this way? And why does this reaction only kick in around certain people?
What is sexual tension – and what does it mean?
Sexual tension is the powerful experience of feeling what you believe is a mutual physical attraction to another person. It manifests in physical reactions in the body that you’ll notice when the other person is around. What makes the attraction 'tense' is the lack of certainty that surrounds reciprocity and, usually, a lack of familiarity with the other person.
Smriti Joshi, lead psychologist at Wysa, suggests that sexual tension is 'a very normal, common experience'.
'It occurs when two people interact, mostly in close physical proximity to each other, and they feel a strong sexual desire without it leading to any sexual activity,' she says.
'You may experience this with a colleague, a friend or a neighbour and it can lead to you feeling weird about having strange desires – especially if you didn’t expect to feel this way about someone or haven’t considered having a relationship with them, yet you feel triggered by them sexually.'
What triggers sexual tension?
A team of scientists led by renowned US anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher found that our lustful feelings towards another person are determined by three factors.
These are biological, such as physical appearance; social, such as a person’s manners and behaviour; and developmental, meaning whether they remind you of a triggering experience or their presence feels familiar or comforting.
Combine these three factors with other environmental factors, such as being in close physical proximity to someone, where you are in your menstrual cycle and how your hormones are behaving, the temperature in the room and what you both happen to be doing, such as completing a task as a team, and you have a recipe for sexual tension.
Julia Kotziamani, sex and relationships expert at Superdrug Online Doctor, explains: 'Sexual tension can affect anyone and is largely a biological reaction, though how we deal with it is in our control.
'These feelings can be quite powerful for some people. However, some people don’t have a strong response to sexual tension, and some don’t experience it at all; these may be those who identify on the asexual spectrum, for example.'
What if sexual tension is negative, one-sided or unwanted?
Sexual tension can be one-sided, meaning it’s possible for our feelings not to be reciprocated. Sometimes our hormones can mislead us and the signals firing in our brains can lead us to act on impulses that aren’t always good for ourselves or the people around us.
That’s why the impulsive and hormonally driven part of our brain that controls our flight or fight response is often called the Reptilian Brain. The Reptilian Brain perceives things very simply: an unfamiliar thing is bad and a familiar thing is good.
Julia continues: 'Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to identify someone else as feeling the same as you, or it may be much harder. If you're in a bar and someone is a stranger, for example, it may be easier to detect their body language accurately than if you are at work with a colleague.'
You’ll also have to use your sense of judgement to determine whether it’s worth acting on what you perceive to be sexual tension.
'In some instances it’s not going to be desirable to pursue the tension you’re experiencing and so moving on and not dwelling is best. Save the attraction for your private thoughts, she says.
'Remember that not everything we feel is going to be reciprocated by others and that consent and making sure people feel safe and comfortable around us is really important.'
How do you know if you have sexual tension with someone?
'Sexual tension is definitely not just in our heads or our rational minds,' says Julia. 'It can cause a range of physiological symptoms. It feels different for everyone and everyone will have a different experience of how sexual tension feels in the body, but common symptoms include an increased heart rate, blushing, stuttering, sweaty palms, faster breathing and even an increased blood flow to genital regions.'
The signs of sexual tension – and what to do about them
There are 21 key signs of sexual tension and how to deal with them, according to experts.
1) Eye contact
This is the most well-known indicator of a connection with another person and a good way of being able to tell if someone likes you. If you constantly find yourselves locking eyes and holding each other’s gaze, this is a sign that you are interested in someone and of bonding and closeness. Our rule of thumb is that the longer it lingers, the greater the tension.
2) Staring
You might find yourself staring at the other person or find they’re staring at you. Sometimes you might happen to glance up at the same time and your eyes might soften into a mutual stare. If this happens, it's likely there's something taking place between you.
3) You're aware of their presence
Even if you aren't directly eyeing someone up you are likely keeping an eye on where they are in the room. You're aware of where they are located and how close they are to you. Your excitement might grow as you feel them moving closer to you. If your intense awareness of this person is bothering you or distracting you, try listening to music or a podcast to distract yourself, occupying your attention with a repetitive task or practising mindfulness around a topic that interests you.
4) Awkwardness
Are you forgetting all your words? Tripping up or being clumsier than usual? Behaving awkwardly may be a sign of sexual tension because your behaviour is due to both being excited physically and being hyper aware of yourself and your actions. To deal with any awkward behaviour, try taking five deep breaths to regulate your nervous system before engaging with the other person, and try moving slowly. Don’t rush, and take time to pause and gather your thoughts before you speak.
5) That embarrassed feeling
Hyperawareness of how we look and act can also lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame. We’re viewing ourselves through a hypercritical lens while also dealing with a rush of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is likely making us feel dizzy and disorientated. It’s hard to not feel embarrassed when you’re in a self-conscious state, so try repeating kind and positive words to yourself.
6) Blushing
What does embarrassment lead to? Blushing, of course. As blood rushes to our heads to temper the effects of rising adrenaline, our faces and necks flush pink. This can be a clear giveaway that you’re experiencing some level of sexual tension or attraction to someone. Deep breathing to regulate your pulse and your body temperature can help.
7) Facial expressions
You might worry more about what you look like if you and another person are checking each other out. You might smile more or try to face the other person with your 'good side'. Try to relax, take a beat and breathe out.
8) Sweating
As certain hormones flood your body and your pulse quickens, your body temperature might start to rise. This means you might find yourself sweating a little, which can be a source of embarrassment and anxiety. You can’t stop yourself sweating, but you can load up on antiperspirant and breathe deeply to try and stabilise your temperature.
9) There's a bit of an odd atmosphere
Does the air feel heavy? Do your senses feel heightened? Sexual tension creates a physical response that makes it feel like the frequency in the room changes when you’re close to the person you’re attracted to.
10) Smiling
If you find yourself smiling when you think of the person, grinning when you see them and beaming when you engage with them, that can be a sure sign of sexual tension, especially if the smiles are mutual.
11) Laughing
Laughing releases feel-good hormones, and feel-good hormones put us at ease, so your propensity to laugh, giggle and joke around with another person both builds a chemical connection and shows that you like one another.
12) Touching each other
Maybe it's a brush of their leg or a hand that lingers a little too long on a forearm after a funny joke. Whatever it is, subtle touching is definitely a sign of something bubbling beneath the surface.
13) You respond to touch by getting closer
If you happen to touch the other person, do they pull away or get closer? Do they lean in while you’re talking? If they move towards you, they’re probably attracted to you, or at least very comfortable with you being in their personal space.
14) You can't help flirting
Joking around, making flirty comments and challenging each other are all signs that tension may be rising between you. If someone is flirting with you and you’re not enjoying it, it’s always good to respond with clarity by saying, 'Don’t say that to me please, I don’t like it.'
15) 'You two look great together!'
People telling you that you look, sound and act like you’d be good together suggests that others may be picking up on the sexual tension between you. Of course, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but if people saying these sorts of things makes you feel uncomfortable, be clear with your boundaries and make it known that these sorts of comments aren’t appropriate.
16) You tease each other
Making fun of one another is a way of forging a personal bond and flirting in the process. It's also a sign that someone is paying attention to your mannerisms and actions. However, don’t confuse degradation for playful teasing. If something feels jarring, tell the other person you’re not enjoying the teasing and that being mocked hurts your feelings.
17) Daydreaming
Do you find yourself daydreaming about a particular person? If your thoughts keep drifting, you play out fantasy scenarios or often wonder how certain conversations might go, this distraction could be a sign of sexual tension.
18) X-rated dreams
Sexual dreams are totally normal but sometimes they can be disarming, especially if someone you weren’t expecting to see makes an appearance. Sexual dreams don’t always mean that we want sex with the person in them; dreams are complex expressions of our subconscious, after all. However, if you find yourself having steamy dreams about a particular person regularly, there might be some desire there.
19) You gravitate towards each other
If you and the person you’re experiencing sexual tension with always tend to gravitate towards each other at social events, or at work, or if you often bump into each other in the same places, there might be something in that.
20) Changes in mood
The problem with sexual tension is that it can be a source of confusion and frustration. No one is acting on their feelings and you are both likely somewhat anxious and embarrassed about them. If someone brings up attraction, dating, body language or anything that feels too close to home in conversation, you might feel the mood change as you both respond to the shift in energy and acknowledge what you’re feeling. Try not to panic. No one is calling you out. Just calmly change the subject.
21) You get butterflies
A burst of adrenaline and a rising heart rate can result in tummy flutters when the other person is around. The feeling of butterflies in your stomach is associated with nervousness so it doesn’t always mean that you’re experiencing sexual tension. However, when combined with the other signs, it is pretty likely that sexual tension is present.
Psychologist Smriti Joshi advises: 'Sexual tension could be something that only one person feels, or it could be mutual. It’s important to remember that while this could be a precursor to a relationship, these feelings are mostly led by sexual desire, so you must consider if there is mutuality and consent if you want to pursue these feelings further.'
Julia concurs: 'If you aren’t clear if the other person feels the same, try some light flirting and see how they respond. You may notice they mirror some of your body language, make eye contact, look at your mouth, or find excuses to talk to or be around you.
'If you are feeling bold, and it’s safe and appropriate to do so, you can ask directly. This way you are sure to know if the tension is just in your head. Just make sure you are able to comfortably and considerately deal with the answer, even if it’s a rejection.'
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