I'm going to stay angry at you for as long as I want |
Has your girlfriend seemed more anxious and controlling lately? Is she angrier and more agitated than usual when you spend time with other women? You might be wondering if your girlfriend has been acting this way because she’s jealous. Though jealousy has many causes and is normal in relationships, it can be tough, confusing, and stressful to deal with—especially when she seems to distrust you no matter what you say. I’ve put together some common behaviors to help you figure out what’s going on; if your girlfriend is engaging in some of these, it may be a sign that she really is jealous, and something about the relationship needs to be addressed.
Your girlfriends may question you in extreme detail about how you spend your time. If the requires constant disclosure and feels the need to monitor everything that you do, that could be a sign that they are jealous. Even if you reassure them otherwise or if their claims are irrational, they might continue to express suspicion about your infidelity, leaving you confused about how to gain back their trust.
- For example, they might ask you every day where you were at one in the afternoon, or what you were doing after you got off from work.
- Your girlfriend may just be showing concern and care for you—but if you feel that her questioning is becoming excessive, it may be worth bringing up.
Our relationship will be just fine as long as you do what I say. |
- It’s tough to feel that your girlfriend is gradually isolating you by laying down so many restrictions on your life—and it’s possible that she’s doing it to try and keep you away from potential rivals.
- For example, she may question you about Instagram posts that you’ve liked, asking who another woman is and why you liked her post.
- Of course, just because she asks about your relationship history doesn’t always mean she’s jealous! She may just genuinely be curious and trying to get to know you better.
How long are you going to yell at me for talking to my female coworkers |
- For example, you might be catching up with an old college friend at a gathering, but afterwards she tells you she is angry and asks you if you are bored of her.
- For example, if you mention that you had a great conversation with a coworker about a shared hobby during work, she might react badly and accuse you of flirting and not respecting your relationship.
- Making comparisons doesn’t always mean your girlfriend is jealous of someone else—she might just be feeling vulnerable or down about herself. Consider asking her if anything’s wrong, and if you can support or reassure her in any way.
Your girlfriend may also have unrealistic expectations for your relationship. She might point out relationships she sees on social media or in person, or express dissatisfaction about the current status or dynamic. If she doesn’t seem to appreciate the effort you’re putting into the relationship and talks frequently about how she would like to "fix" or "improve" the relationship so that it’s closer to what she wants, this might be a sign that she’s jealous of other couples.
- For example, she might tell you that she wishes you would hold her hand more in public when you walk past another couple at the mall that is holding hands.
- Rather than being jealous, it’s also possible that your girlfriend wants to improve your relationship. It may be worth talking together about how you both feel about your current dynamic and asking her what she might be satisfied or dissatisfied about.
- For example, you may be really busy at work and aren’t able to respond to her text for an hour—but she doesn’t accept your apology and thinks you did it on purpose.
- Your girlfriend may also just want you to show her more affection or is feeling lonely, so consider talking with her to make sure you’re on the same page about how frequently the two of you want to communicate.
- For example, she might accuse you of taking away time from the relationship when you go out to play basketball or video games with friends, or when you meet up to go hiking for the day.
Your girlfriend insists on tagging along with you to everything.
Why can't I go with you? |
- For example, you might tell her you’re going to make a trip to the store to pick up a couple of groceries. Even though you’re going alone and it won’t take long, she insists on coming with you.
- However, your girlfriend may really just want to spend more time with you, so consider checking in with her if you’re not sure whether she’s jealous.
Final thought