In this article, we highlight the signs she is trying to make you jealous, the reasons a girl will try to make you jealous, and what you can do about it.
Girls are very creative when they want to make a guy jealous. If a girl is trying to make you jealous, rest assured that you will feel jealous no matter how secure you think you are.
However, some of these schemes they use to elicit jealousy may lead to misunderstandings in the relationship.
So, it would help if you knew the signs she is trying to make you jealous so you can know how to handle the situation.
Jealousy stems from fear and insecurity in most relationships and can strike people of all ages. According to Gwendolyn Seidman, a psychology professor at Albright College, jealousy comes from the fear of abandonment.
If you are in a relationship, your girlfriend may try to make you jealous, and a crush may also try to make you jealous to see if you like them the same way they like you.
8 Signs She Is Trying To Make You Jealous
If a girl wants to make you jealous, she will give off some signs. Here are 8 signs she is trying to make you jealous;
1. She Flirts With Or Spends Time With Other People
She is trying to make you jealous if she starts spending time or flirting with other people. So, if your girlfriend starts spending more time with her friends and going out more often, she is trying to make you jealous.
A girl will also start flirting with other people if you do not give her the attention she needs or do not validate her feelings.
She will be more touchy-feely with other guys when you are around, trying to show you what you are missing and making you wish you were that guy.
So, if you see her being extra touchy with other guys in front of you, it is a sign she is trying to make you jealous.
2. She Posts Pictures Or Updates On Social Media That Highlight Other Romantic Interests
Your girlfriend or crush is trying to make you jealous if she starts posting pictures and updates of other romantic interests on social media.
For instance, if you have hurt your girlfriend, she will try to get back at you by posting updates and pictures of her other romantic interests on her social media pages. She will post all the fun she is having with other people to make you jealous.
So, if your girlfriends start posting other guys on her social media, she is trying to make you jealous.
3. She Does Not Reply to Your Texts Immediately
If a girl likes you, she can’t wait to talk to you. She holds her phone waiting for your messages and calls.
So, if your girlfriend or crush is online and not replying to your messages immediately, she could be trying to make you jealous.
She could be sending you a message that she is talking to other guys, she does not have time for you, or she is busy having fun without you, which will make you jealous.
However, you should understand that there are many reasons why they could delay responding to your messages.
For example, she could be busy with work or school or not have her phone.
4. She Brings Up Past Relationships Or Crushes
If your girlfriend has started talking about her exes or crushes, it is a sign she is trying to make you jealous.
So, your girlfriend had a bad breakup with her ex and did not like to hear anyone mention his name, let alone talk about him, but suddenly she is talking about him. So what gives? She is trying to make you jealous.
She may also start talking about her crushes or people who have crushes on her to show you that she has options. Of course, this is bound to make you jealous.
5. She Changes Her Appearance Or Fashion Choices
Your girlfriend is trying to make you jealous if she changes her appearance. When a girl wants to make you jealous, she will change her appearance and dress more attractively.
So if your girlfriend changes her appearance and wants to look attractive all the time or starts wearing revealing clothes, she is trying to make you jealous. She wants to boost her self-confidence and attract other guys.
6. She Constantly Talks About Other People She Finds Attractive
Your girlfriend will constantly talk about other people she finds attractive if she is trying to make you jealous.
For example, if you are watching a movie and she talks about the hot guy on TV and his features, she is trying to make you jealous.
She will often talk about her celebrity crushes to make you jealous. Most people have a celebrity crush but do not talk about them in front of their significant other.
So, if your girlfriend or crush talks about their crushes in front of you, she is trying to make you jealous.
For instance, if my boyfriend makes me mad, I talk about guys I find attractive in movies and how thoughtful they are toward their partners. It makes him feel horrible and improves his behavior.
7. She Ignores Or Avoids You In Social Situations
Your girlfriend or crush likes hanging out with you and going out to social events. However, now she does not want to go with you, and when you bump into each other in social situations, she will avoid spending time with you.
She is trying to make you jealous. She wants you to see that she can do without you. So she will spend more time with her friends and other guys but will not have time for you.
If your girlfriend starts avoiding you and ignoring you when you hang out with mutual friends, she is trying to make you jealous.
8. She Does Things You Like With Other People
If your girlfriend starts doing the things you love with other people, she is trying to make you jealous.
For instance, if you love going to movies with your girlfriend, she will start going to the movies with her friends or other people.
She may even start doing the thing you like with your friends to make you jealous. For instance, sometimes, when I get mad at my boyfriend, I watch soccer with my friends; this kills him inside because he likes watching soccer with me.
The above signs will show you that a girl is trying to make you jealous. However, it is important to note that these signs will differ depending on the stage your relationship is in.
For instance, if you are starting a relationship, you will find that she will try to make you jealous by hanging out and flirting with other people and talking about their past relationships.
On the other hand, if the relationship has progressed and she is your girlfriend, she will try to make you jealous by going out with her friends and ignoring you or doing the things you love with other people. Moreover, she may start wearing different clothes or change her appearance.
Reasons She Is Trying To Make You Jealous
A girl who wants to make you jealous will do so even if you are secure in yourself. There are many reasons a girl will try to make you jealous. Some of these reasons include the following;
1. She Like You
A woman will try to make you jealous if she likes you and wants you to notice her. Women have always been told they are the prize and should not chase after men. So, when a girl likes you, she will do things to make you notice her.
For instance, if you have mutual friends and you are hanging out together, she will be friendly with the other guys to make you notice her and make you jealous instead of telling you outrightly she is interested in you.
2. She Wants To Know If You Love Her
A girl will try to make you jealous to know if you care about her. If you have been hanging out with someone and they are uncertain about your feelings for them, they will try to make you jealous to know if you care about them.
If a girl is unsure about your feelings towards her, she will go out of her way to find out. She will ask her friends – my boyfriend calls them the council of governors in the relationship.
She will google everything about relationships and signs a boy likes you. If all this fails, she will make you jealous to test your feelings for her.
Some of the things she might do to test your feelings include;
- Hanging out and flirting with other guys
- Making statements showing she is available for a relationship.
- She will ignore you to see your reaction
- She will purposely not entertain you
If a girl you love does the above things, you will feel annoyed and want to pursue her more than you did. Guys tend to like the things they think are out of their reach.
If you are undecided about your feelings for a girl, do not keep giving her mixed signals, it is confusing and honestly exhausting; just let her go.
3. She Wants More Attention
If a girl is trying to make you jealous, it means she wants more attention from you. So, if you are not paying attention to your girlfriend, she will try to make you jealous to have you pay more attention to her.
She will start talking to other guys to gain your attention. She will also begin to hang out with her friends and go out more to make you feel the void and give her more attention.
Moreover, if you do not validate your girlfriend’s feelings, she will go to people she feels validate her feelings while trying to make you jealous.
4. You Hurt Her, And She Wants To Get Back At You
If you hurt your girlfriend, she will try to make you jealous to get back at you. If you make your girlfriend mad or hurt, she will seek revenge by making you jealous. As baffling as it sounds, it happens a lot.
For instance, if your girlfriend finds you flirting with other women or looking at females online, she will want revenge and hurt you the same way you hurt her.
On the other hand, you could have taken your girlfriend for granted, and she will want to get back at you by making you jealous.
5. She Is Insecure In The Relationship
If your girlfriend is insecure in the relationship, she will try to make you jealous. Kevin Thompson, a relationship expert, says we all experience some insecurities in our lives. However, insecurities are more in relationships due to emotions.
So, if your girlfriend is insecure in the relationship, she will try to make you jealous to ascertain her place in the relationship.
There are many causes of insecurities in a relationship, according to Thompson, some of which include;
- Low self-esteem– if your girlfriend has low self-esteem due to being teased by other people or her peers as a child, she will be insecure. For instance, if someone told her she is not beautiful, she may have low self-esteem.
- Past experiences – if your girlfriend has had bad relationships in the past, she may come with emotional baggage to the relationship and feel insecure at the slightest provocation.
- Attachment styles– if your girlfriend grew up with insecure attachment styles, they will bring this to the relationship.
- Lack of personal fulfillment– if your girlfriend does not have personal fulfillment, she will be insecure in the relationship. If she does not have hobbies, goals, or a career, she will lack self-identity outside the relationship and be insecure.
what to do if a girl is trying to make you jealous
If your girlfriend is trying to make you jealous, you will want to remedy the situation. Below are some things you can do if she is trying to make you jealous.
1. Communicating Directly And Honestly About Your Feelings
Communication is critical to the success of every relationship, so if she is trying to make you jealous, have an honest and direct conversation about your feelings. Understand why she is trying to make you jealous, and tell her how her behavior affects you.
If she is trying to make you jealous because you do not give her enough attention, be there for her and validate her feelings. Spend more time with her if that is what she needs from you.
2. Set Boundaries and Express Your Needs in a Relationship
If she is trying to make you jealous, you should set healthy and clear boundaries in the relationship. This will help you avoid misunderstandings that may lead to problems in the relationship.
Healthy boundaries ensure that partners know what they can and cannot do when they are at loggerheads with each other.
For instance, my boyfriend and I have an understanding no matter what is happening in our relationship; we will not flirt or cheat with other people to make each other jealous. If this boundary is crossed, the relationship will be at a point of no return.
Moreover, you should clearly articulate your needs in the relationship. This will ensure that both parties know what the other needs and what they are expected to do to meet their partner’s needs.
Clear expectations make coexisting easy and eliminate misunderstandings and schemes trying to make each other jealous.
3. Considering The Underlying Reasons For The Jealousy-Inducing Behavior
Many reasons may cause your partner to try and make you jealous. However, it will help to consider why she is trying to make you jealous.
For instance, if she is trying to make you jealous because she is insecure and has baggage from previous relationships, ensure you give her the needed security in the relationship.
Try to be there for her and validate her feelings, listen to her when she talks and be a cheerleader when she is feeling down, be thoughtful, and show her affection. Again, it is the small things that matter.
If she is trying to make you jealous because she has low self-esteem and is making her insecure, do everything possible to improve her esteem; compliment her, tell her she is beautiful and important to you. This will boost her self-esteem, and she will stop trying to make you feel jealous.
Related Reading:
9 Signs She Talks To Other Guys
25 Signs A Shy Girl Has A Crush On You
Final Thoughts on Signs She Is Trying To Make You Jealous
Jealousy is natural, and it affects everyone. For example, your girlfriend may try to make you jealous if you do not give her the attention she craves.
On the other hand, a crush will try to make you jealous if she likes you or if she is trying to ascertain if you love and care for her.
Moreover, your girlfriend may try to make you jealous if she is insecure in the relationship. Therefore, you have to assure your partner of your love and give her attention and affection so she may feel secure in the relationship.
There are many signs that she is trying to make you jealous. For instance, she may stop replying to your messages, start ignoring or avoiding you, or start talking about her crushes and past relationships.
Moreover, a crush may try to make you jealous by posting about other love interests on social media or flirting with other people.
If you want your girlfriend to stop trying to make you jealous, you should have a direct conversation with her about your expectations and needs.
You should also set clear and healthy boundaries in the relationship and understand why they are trying to make you jealous.
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