The Friend Zone. Guys complain when they get put in the Friend Zone by a girl. But most of these guys probably don’t realize what they’re doing. They’re putting you in the “Girlfriend Zone”.

I’m sure you’ve all been there. You start hanging out with or talking to guy, and you think you’ve finally found a guy who you can just be friends with. Then he starts hitting on you. You don’t want a relationship, but he doesn’t understand that. If you stop answering him, he asks if everything is okay and if you’re mad at him.

You don’t want to risk losing your friendship with him, but you also don’t want to be in a relationship with him. You probably won’t talk as much because you don’t want to lead him on. As unfortunate as it is, that’s what happens.

How do you avoid it? You should tell him from the get-go that you're not looking for a relationship.Just sit down with him and talk about how you feel, and tell him that you are only interested in being friends. If he knows this from the beginning, you should be able to avoid the "Girlfriend Zone." Most guys will be understanding about it, and want you to be happy. If he keeps pushing the issue, or can't accept that you just want to be friends, he clearly doesn't care about your feelings as much as he should.

This isn't to say that all guys are going to put you in the "Girlfriend Zone" - but if one does, you need to do what's best for you. Don't try to spare his feelings, because you will end up hurting yourself in the end; especially if you don't actually want to go out with him. If it gets to the point where he asks you out, just tell him that you aren't looking for a relationship right now. If you want to continue being friends, tell him that. He'd rather hear the truth than a lie - even the little white kind. He should respect you and your opinions.

Also, don't blame yourself for "leading him on." You probably thought that all of your texting or Snapchatting was friendly and didn't think that he would take it any other way. It's not your fault and there's probably nothing you could have done. Once he saw you as a potential girlfriend, the only stopping it is telling him that you're not interested in a relationship. Don't be afraid of letting him down; going out with him and then telling him that you never liked him as more than a friend will hurt him more than telling him the truth from the beginning.

There will be guys in your life that you can be just friends with, but if one of them puts you in the "Girlfriend Zone", don't be afraid to let him know that's not what you want. Be nice about it, of course, but don't drag yourself into something you're not comfortable with.