Over time, you meet plenty of different people, and after spending a good amount of time with them, you start to develop feelings for him or her. Catching feelings for someone is so scary because you never know if the other person feels the same way unless they tell/show you how they feel, and depending on you and your beaus Love Language, these feelings can be shown in many different ways. I used to think it was okay to express how you feel to the person you're giving all your attention to, but I have recently had a change of heart. Now I believe as females, we should try to protect our feelings and our hearts as much as possible. So I'm going to tell you 3 ways to protect your feelings from getting hurt and played with.

1. Don't have sex without a commitment.

Unless the two of you have agreed that you two are just friends who have occasional sex, stop it. It's harder for women to separate their feelings from sex while men can hit it and quit it with no remorse, and this is the easiest way for a woman to get her feelings hurt because it becomes complicated when you two haven't established what the relationship is. I feel like nowadays, guys treat sex like it's just another cup of coffee, so before you give it up to him make sure you're somebody special in his life, go on a couple dates first, meet his friends or family. By holding off before giving it up, you're protecting your feelings and making sure you're something more to him than just sex.

2. He should want you more than you want him.

I have always heard that a girl should always date a guy who likes her more than she likes him. A guy who will cancel his plans to spend time with her, one who actually makes time for her, makes her feel safe, will be her protector and one who wants to take her out on dates and shower her with attention. If you like a guy more, then you will suffer more. You will get used and played because he knows you like him so much that no matter what he does, you're going to stick around. So to protect your heart, date a guy who likes you much more than you like him. It will be much easier to let go if or when he breaks your heart or hurts your feelings.

3. Have the "what are we?" conversation.

I personally have always refused to have this conversation out of fear that I will be rejected. Don't be like me, have this conversation. The "what are we" conversation can stop you from getting your feelings hurt because you and your beau would have established what the relationship is. You will know if it's just sex, if y'all are working towards becoming more than friends, or if you two want to start the relationship right then and there. This conversation makes what was complicated now uncomplicated, and it will also save you a lot of time that could've been wasted, a lot of tears, and it will stop your feelings from being hurt in the long run.