How to Talk to Your Crush Without Being Crushed

Setting the Stage

Put in a little time before you go in and speak to them. It pays to be prepared. You don't just take a math test without studying, or pass a driver's ed test without taking a class. The people who put time and thought into winning their crush usually have a better shot at winning them. Try to strike a good balance between preparing and being creepily prepared. Your crush likes getting the extra attention you want to give them, but they don't want to feel like you've been thinking about them every single second for the past three days. That's a bit creepy, even if it might be true!

Spend some time relaxing beforehand. Take deep breaths and practice letting your entire body go limp. This is sometimes easier when you aren't in public. Try relaxing in your bed before going to sleep or when you get home or in the shower.

Think before you speak. You can get over your nervousness — or eliminate it altogether — by taking a moment to consider your options. Practice at home before actually approaching your crush, and you won't be caught in an awkward moment of silence. Take your time, especially if you're about to make a first impression on someone who's important to you. Practice in the mirror. You'll want to make sure you know what you're going to say, but don't make it sound rehearsed. Imagine a variety of situations in which you might have the opportunity to talk to your crush, and act these out in front of the mirror. The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll be during the conversation itself. Have fun with it. Sure, try the serious versions of what you want to say, but also say it in a completely goofy way that makes you laugh. The less serious you take yourself, the more natural you will be when the time comes.

Get to know a little bit about them. Take the time to notice what pictures they have in their notebook, or what they eat at lunch, or which sports they like to play. Knowing these small but important details will help you make conversation later on. It could help you say something like: "I noticed those movies on your notebook. I'm all about movies from the '80s. Do you have a favorite?" Hey, my friends and I were going to play some pickup after school. Maybe you'd want to join if you're up for it?"

Find innovative ways to boost your self-confidence. One of the reasons you're probably afraid of being crushed is that it will hurt your confidence. Don't let that happen. It's crazy to let your confidence be swayed by just one person. Much of your confidence should come from how you feel about yourself. So find ways to boost your confidence before you really start getting to know your crush. That way, you'll be more attractive to your crush and you won't be crushed if something bad happens. Look at your Facebook wall. Studies have found that simply looking at your Facebook wall for 3 minutes can significantly boost your self-confidence. It's worth a try!

Be outcome-independent. What does that mean? It means put yourself in a position where you don't care whether your crush likes you back. Why is this important? It's important for two reasons. It helps you deal with rejection, which is ultimately something you're going to have to do. (If you're not getting rejected somewhere along the way, you're not trying.) And secondly, it helps you have a healthier relationship with your crush. Instead of building the crush up to be a superhero who will save everything in your world, you treat them like a normal, but special, person instead. What? you say. Why would I do that? I don't even have control over it. You may not. But sometimes, we think about our crushes so much, and we imagine what life would be with them, that we start to develop unhealthy relationships with their imaginary selves. These imaginary relationships become so unhealthy that we can't imagine ourselves being without this person, all without the other person even knowing. If you're outcome-independent, your confidence grows. This is attractive to a lot of people. You don't feel that getting rejected from any one girl or any one guy is a big deal, and so you shrug it off. Your confidence is bigger than the rejection of one person.

Making Your Move

Approach your crush when you are alone. The first time you interact on a personal level should be in a casual situation without too many other people around to distract you. The middle of the dance floor would not be great place to have a lengthy conversation, for example. Go up to your crush during lunch time in the cafeteria. Ask them if you can sit next to them and begin to strike up a conversation. It's often honestly as simple as that. Talk to your crush at a party. Whether it's a birthday party or a pool party, if you're both invited, you have an excuse to talk to them. Interact with them through one of your mutual friends. If you're friends with one of their friends, go up to the friend and start talking, waiting for them to give you something to say.

Introduce yourself. If you've already formally introduced yourself, then all you need to do is say a simple "hi" or "hello." Remember to look your crush directly into the eyes when you say hello. You're unintentionally saying a lot if you stare down at your shoes while saying hello. Keep things casual and fun when you first talk to your crush. You don't want to be too intense and risk coming on too strong.

Ask your crush about himself or herself. Ask thought-provoking things that relate to your current situation—"why" and "how" questions are typically best if you want to talk for awhile. These often lead to in-depth discussions that both of you can participate in, which is ideal when talking to a crush. Remember to try to avoid simple "yes" or "no" questions. If you ask your crush "Did you go to school in Canada?" they don't have to give you a long answer. If you ask your crush "What was it like going to school in Canada?" they'll talk a lot more. Ask them about their background. Where are they from, what do their parents do, how do they know so-and-so, etc. People, your crush included, love talking about themselves.

Remember to interject occasionally if your crush is telling a long story. Meaning ask a few questions while they are telling the story. This will show them that you are paying attention to what they have to say. If you come up with a story to tell, make sure your crush has finished talking before you begin, and keep it short and sweet so your crush doesn't think you're full of yourself.

Pay attention to your body language. Your body language communicates a lot, whether or not you want it to. Sometimes, your body will says things you can't help. But a lot of the time, if you're aware of what your body is saying, you can correct it if you ever notice it betraying you. Here's what to pay attention to: Eye-contact. Making and keeping eye-contact says that you're interested in what the other person is saying. Face in their direction. Face your body in their direction. It means you're interested in what they're saying and aren't shy. Smile. Smiling says the other person makes you happy. Flirt with body language. Gently bat your eyelashes, twirl your hair, or touch their shoulder. Laughing at their jokes. Even if the jokes aren't that funny, smile and do your best to humor your crush.

Don't use pick-up lines! Whatever you do, don't use pick-up lines. They're horribly cheesy and they don't really work. If you're a guy and you can't think of what to use other than a pick-up line, read this article on how to start a conversation with a girl. One thing that can help you avoid cheesy pick-up lines and off-putting comments is to never say anything to a girl you just met that you wouldn't say in front of your partner if you had one.

Don't take yourself so seriously. Seriously. If you're like a normal person, being close to your crush is going to drive you insane. And when you feel that way, you're likely to do, well, stupid stuff. Shrug it off. If you trip over your words, say something like "Wow. I can't speak. I guess being close to an amazing person will do that." If you trip over your shoes and he comes to pick you up, asking "Are you okay?!" say something like "Sure, I really thought I nailed the landing."

Ask for a date. If you feel like the conversation is going well, don't hesitate to ask when your crush is free again. This can be anything from a couple of minutes at lunch tomorrow to a bona fide date with movie and dinner — your request will depend on how confident you feel and how your crush acts while you're talking. Once you've thought it through and you can tell they are interested in you, don't worry about asking when you can see each other after this.

Be aware of the situation. You are not necessarily going to get a warm reception when you first try to initiate conversation. If your crush seems disengaged or bored, ask if anything is wrong; maybe it's been a bad day, maybe they've got something on their mind. If there doesn't appear to be anything distracting your crush and their annoyance with you still seems to be heightening, excuse yourself politely, make a quick escape, and consider trying another day.

Handle rejection calmly. It's possible that your crush just doesn't feel the same way about you. If you determine that this is the case, the two of you can still talk, but you have to accept that a romantic relationship between you is unlikely. There's nothing worse than feeling unrequited love for someone who's completely unaware of it, so if your crush friend-zones you, just accept it and move on.