20 Signs You're Too Clingy in Your Relationship

The meaning of clingy is someone who is overly attached to their significant other to the point where they have to be with that person all the time. It can mean that you always want to know what your girlfriend or boyfriend is doing. And when you're not together, you're calling, texting, or otherwise contacting him or her so that it seems like you are together. Being clingy can be really annoying in a relationship because sometimes people just need some space. It doesn't mean your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't care about you; it just means they want to spend some time apart. Space can be a great thing for relationships. The lack of space can be catastrophic. If you're not sure whether or not you're overly clingy towards your boyfriend or girlfriend, take a look at your relationship and determine whether any of these signs are present. If they are, you're probably too clingy, and you should try to give your partner some space. Distance makes the heart grow fonder!

One of the most significant signs that you're too clingy is that you obsess about your relationship. If your head is totally consumed with thoughts of your partner and your relationship and what every little thing means, you're probably too clingy. If you or your boyfriend or girlfriend exhibits any of these five signs, then you or your partner probably fit this category of clingy. 1. You analyze the meaning of every little thing your boyfriend/girlfriend says, even if it's just about where you should go to dinner. You contemplate what his or her choice means for your relationship and fear that picking a particular restaurant means that he or she is going to break up with you. You often argue against whatever he or she says because you're so attached to him/her that the thought of breaking up is too much to handle. 2. You (probably with the help of your BFF) go over the details of every conversation you've ever had with your significant other. You're trying to determine if he/she feels the same about the relationship as you do. 3. If you're not with your partner, you're thinking about being with him/her. This leads you to think about whether or not your partner is thinking about you, and you go down a rabbit hole of fear that he or she doesn't love you as much as you love them. You'll probably go on to commit another sin of clingy-ness after your thoughts spiral. 4. You're unable to trust your boyfriend or girlfriend. You continuously worry when you're apart. You're afraid that he/she is having more fun because he/she is not with you. 5. You don't do anything you used to like doing because you're too busy doing what your partner wants to do, or thinking about what your partner is doing without you. Your entire life is consumed by your relationship, so you never spend time on your hobbies or with your friends.

It's often difficult to break out of the cycle of being clingy because you're trapped in your own head. If you find your thoughts going down any of the slippery slopes mentioned above, try distracting yourself with something other than your boyfriend or girlfriend. Look up the meaning of new words or start watching a new TV show that your partner wouldn't like. Maybe look through your old texts and hit up some friends you haven't talked to in a while. Whatever you do, don't contact your boyfriend or girlfriend. That's more clingy, not less! And don't worry about whether or not he/she is thinking about you, too. They probably are! And chances are they'll text you first, in which case it's completely okay to respond! If they don't text, it doesn't mean they don't care. They're just busy or having fun, so you should have fun, too! All it means when your significant other is away from you is that you're not together. No need to convince yourself otherwise! And make sure your friends don't reward your clingy habits by helping you, even though it's tempting. Ask your BFF to watch a movie with you or get your nails done together instead of over-analyzing your boyfriend's or girlfriend's texts. You'll have a lot more fun and you won't put your relationship in jeopardy!

Cell phones are the creators of clingy. It's so easy to be clingy when your entire world is right at the tips of your fingers! Here are some signs of phone related clingy-ness to watch out for. 6. Your lock screen and background photos are of your significant other. When you scroll through the pictures on your phone, they're almost all pictures of you with your boyfriend or girlfriend, or just your boyfriend or girlfriend. The apps on your phone have to do with things your significant other likes. Basically, your partner has completely taken over your phone without even knowing it - and it's your own doing! 7. The only person you ever text anymore is your boyfriend or girlfriend. When someone other than your partner texts you, you feel disappointed and ignore it, or you respond with something short that won't keep a conversation flowing. 8. When you do text other people, the texts are full of random things about your boyfriend or girlfriend. People stop texting you because all you want to talk about is your partner. 9. You get angry when your partner doesn't text you back right away. You'll often send multiple texts in a row to get his/her attention because you feel like they're ignoring you. 10. You call your partner all the time. If he or she doesn't text back fast enough, you call them. If you've been apart for more than five minutes, you give them a call. First thing in the morning and last thing before bed? You're dialing his/her number. Your recent calls list is full of his/her number.

With phones at the center of our lives and often vital to our jobs, it's usually not possible to put your phone down or turn it off. However, if you find that you're doing any of the five clingy phone behaviors above, you might want to consider a phone time out. Try going to the movies and turning your phone off before you even walk into the theater. Or, put your phone in the other room while you're watching a movie or TV show, or reading a book. Out of sight, out of mind. You won't be as tempted to send a million texts and call your boyfriend/girlfriend a million times if your phone isn't readily available to do so. If your boyfriend/girlfriend has taken over your phone because you put so many things about them and related to them into it, try taking it back. Download a few apps that you like and delete a few that you only had for him/her. Make sure your lock screen is a photo of the two of you together, not just him/her. Take a few selfies and when you see your friends, take pictures with them, too. If someone were to find your phone on the street and return it to your boyfriend/girlfriend because it looks like it belongs to them, you need to make a change. It's your phone, make sure it seems like it! If you can't part ways with your phone even for a little bit, at least use it for good. Text those friends you've been ignoring and ask to hang out. Call your mom instead of your partner. Your phone doesn't have to only be for communicating with your boyfriend or girlfriend; it should be for talking to everyone!

Just like phones, the internet makes it easy to be clingy. You've got so much information just waiting to be found. But the internet can ruin your relationship if you're not careful, and no one wants an overly clingy boyfriend or girlfriend. If any of these things fit your online behavior, you're too clingy. 11. You've deleted everyone on social media other than family, really close friends, and your boyfriend/girlfriend. You've especially taken care to eliminate anyone who shares a gender with your significant other because you wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. Your relationship is perfect, and no one can stand in the way. You also expect your significant other to do the same thing. Otherwise, you worry the relationship doesn't mean as much to him/her. 12. The last fifty photos you've posted on Instagram have been of your boyfriend/girlfriend. People are starting to wonder whose Instagram they're following because you're hardly in the photos anymore. The same goes for anywhere else you share photos: instead of cute pictures of your dog or a selfie on the beach, you post pictures of your boyfriend/girlfriend doing nothing with silly captions about how much you love him/her. 13. You spend way too much time on his/her social media pages. You spend more time scrolling through their timelines than you do your own. 14. If you see something on his/her social media that you don't like, you get mad about it. An old friend tagged him/her in a picture and they're standing too close to a former potential flame? You freak out, even if they assure you it's just a friend. You go back so far on their social media pages that you find posts from old partners and tell your boyfriend/girlfriend to delete them. You're controlling when it comes to their social media because they belong to you and no one else. 15. You've spent time googling your significant other. You don't just stop at the first page, either. You go back as far as you have time for, and it's usually pretty far.

A relationship doesn't have to be posted all over the internet. If you want to share photos of you and your partner, that's totally fine, but maybe sprinkle in a few non-significant other related posts, too. You do still have a life outside of that relationship, and to only post photos of your partner is seriously clingy. Your social media is yours, and theirs is theirs. Let them be separate! So what if your significant other has friends that aren't you and they're posting nostalgic photos? Get over it. Chances are your partner isn't super clingy when someone posts a picture of you! When you get the urge to check your partner's page, go to youtube and watch a music video instead. Keep watching suggested videos until the urge to lurk your partner's account passes. You're only hurting your relationship and showing your clingy side when you scroll obsessively through his/her facebook page. Regarding the googling problem, just don't. You do not need to find an article on the local newspaper's website from 15 years ago about some event he/she attended. This is the ultimate clingy move, and your boyfriend/girlfriend will not be happy that you've basically done a background check on them. Don't ruin your relationship because you're clingy!

Being clingy in real life puts a real strain on a relationship. Like mentioned earlier, space is good, and that means sometimes you've gotta put some physical space between you in public. If you find yourself doing any of these clingy things in your relationship, stick a ruler between you and your partner. 16. You've followed your partner without them knowing. Whether it be out of curiosity or mistrust, you wanted to know where they were going without asking, so you took matters into your own hands. 17. You are constantly holding onto your partner. You hold hands, you hold his/her arm, you cuddle them. Even when it's the middle of summer and 103 degrees outside, you still drape yourself around them. 18. You get closer when there are other people around, especially someone who is the same gender as you. When you see someone who could possibly check out your partner, you make sure that you close any possible space between you, just in case. 19. If you're not right next to each other, you're tracking your partner's every move. You're at a party together and talking to separate groups, but you always keep an eye on what he/she is doing. 20. You invite yourself out when he/she is going to go somewhere by yourself. Even if it's a totally innocent brother/sister outing, you have to be involved. You force your way into every situation so that he/she knows your relationship comes first.

If you're clingy in real life, your relationship is in danger. Other types of clingy-ness can be ignored, but the real life stuff is too obvious for anyone to get over. Not only does your boyfriend/girlfriend notice it, but everyone else does too. First of all, physical space will help. Instead of holding on to your partner like your relationship is sinking and he/she is a life raft, stand a few inches apart. Hold hands instead of trying to meld your bodies into a single entity. It's even okay to walk next to each other without holding hands or touching at all. Your relationship isn't dependent on you touching each other, and putting some space between you will keep either of you from feeling smothered. If you feel like your life depends on being with your partner at all times, you have to take a step back and evaluate things. Instead of inviting yourself to hang out with your partner, invite a friend to do something else. Time apart will help build your relationship because it prevents co-dependence and it shows your partner that you're not a clingy person. Of course, you want to spend time together when you're in a relationship, but you don't have to spend every hour of every day together. Even old married couples need their time apart! If jealousy is the problem, making you get extra clingy with other people around, try trusting your partner. Unless he/she has given you a reason to believe he/she might stray, know that they're in the relationship too and they wouldn't be if they didn't care about you. You don't have to feel threatened by everyone who walks by!

If only a few of these twenty signs apply to you, you're probably not too clingy. A little bit of clingy-ness is okay because it usually just means you care. It's when it gets excessive that you have to worry. If you found yourself relating to every category above, you should follow the instructions on how to stop being clingy. Your significant other will appreciate it, and your relationship will be stronger than ever! It doesn't take much to change your ways when you're overly clingy, and you'll get over your attachment in no time. A healthy, balanced relationship is a better relationship!