How To Handle A Crush When You're Married (And What It Means)

Virtually nothing surpasses the heady, all-consuming rush of a crush. And if you're currently married or in any other type of serious monogamous relationship, chances are those thrilling feelings of attraction and curiosity likely also come with pangs of guilt and maybe even fear.

Yes, crushes are completely normal and very common among people in relationships. "You're married, not dead," jokes marriage counselor Rachel Wright, LMFT. "One study1 out of the University of Vermont revealed that 98% of men and 80% of women have fantasized about someone other than their current partner in the past two months," says sexologist Jess O'Reilly, Ph.D.

Crushes are particularly a dime a dozen in the workplace. In a recent study conducted by SimplyHired, 74% of full-time employees in committed relationships revealed they were attracted to an office colleague, so having a work crush even if you're married is nothing out of the ordinary.

As for why your crush might feel so intoxicating, there's a solid scientific reason. "Intense chemicals are at play when you first experience attraction: serotonin, adrenaline, and dopamine," O'Reilly explains. "This cascade of hormones can result in feeling a degree of obsession and idealization of a new partner."

Married people develop crushes for the same reasons as all the rest of us: They've been interacting with an attractive or interesting person that they vibe with. Being married with a crush doesn't say anything about the state of your marriage; people in very happy relationships will still occasionally find themselves getting those tingly butterflies around someone who isn't their spouse. It's all normal.

Your attraction could reveal potential weaknesses in your current relationship—which is, again, not a bad thing. All relationships, even marriages, have room for improvement. For instance, does your crush give you much-needed attention or romance, whereas you feel your partner does not? Do you have deep conversations with your crush but more surface interactions with your significant other?

If so, consider how you can infuse your current relationship with these absent elements. For instance, brainstorm ways your partner can provide you with more validating attention, O'Reilly suggests.

"Our fantasies show us what we're attracted to," marriage therapist Gal A. Szekely, LMFT, tells mbg. "They're about wanting to have a certain experience more than they are about the real other person. What you fantasize about is a compass leading you to what's important to you... So, you should ask yourself: In my fantasy, how do I feel about myself? What experience does it provide for me? Then, see if there are other ways you can invite that experience into your life, especially with your current partner."

"Policing fantasy is nearly impossible," Philadelphia-based psychotherapist Rebecca Newman, LCSW, tells mbg. In her opinion, "fantasizing about a crush is more in line with viewing pornography than actual infidelity or cheating." In that case, consider your crush a fun diversion—as long as you are content to leave it in the realm of fantasy—not reality.

However, if you are fantasizing a lot about one person, "it is critical that you examine what you are avoiding," advises Lesli Doares, North Carolina–based relationship coach and author of Blueprint for a Lasting Marriage. "Avoidance is rarely a good long-term plan because the truth will eventually come out and usually in an uncontrolled way."

If you feel the urge to actualize the relationship with your crush, remind yourself that your conception of them is usually a fantasy. There is no way your real-life partner, whom you know so well (warts and all) and have likely been with for some time, can compete with this idealized persona. That's because the initial newness and excitement of any relationship fade over time. 

It's all about what you do with those emotions—and experts agree that setting clear boundaries with your crush is of the utmost importance. For instance, you might want to avoid texting a desired work colleague after-hours.

While some relationship experts feel that playful banter can be acceptable, most warn that it is highly risky. Newman takes a balanced view. "Flirting can be an innovative way to build sexual tension or energy that you can take home to your committed relationship to bolster the connection," she says. "However, flirting that leads someone else on could be unfair to them, especially if they are eschewing pursuing their other romantic prospects holding out hope for this connection."

California-based clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D., disagrees, considering both fantasizing and flirting "forms of emotional betrayal... Even the most casual flirtations open the door to feelings and actions that could create problems down the road," she cautions. Similarly, Wyatt Fisher, Psy.D., a psychologist, marriage counselor, and couples' retreat leader, views both endeavors as "playing with fire."

Yes, you should tell your spouse about your crush. By sharing what you're experiencing, you're building transparency and allowing your partner to be an ally as you navigate your crush—instead of a cop you're trying to avoid or, worse, an obstacle or villain. By tackling this situation together, you can use the experience and what you're learning from it to improve your existing relationship.

Wright especially suggests telling your partner if you're feeling guilty about harboring the secret or if they directly ask you about the person in question. Lying will only exacerbate the entire situation and can make something minor and fleeting into something more threatening and divisive.

O'Reilly also points out that being open with your partner might help defuse your feelings. After all, the forbidden or taboo aspect of crushes often adds to their allure. For a similar reason, she sometimes recommends introducing partners to crushes. "You may be crushing on this person as a form of escape from your predictable life, so bridge those two worlds of fantasy and reality to help put things in perspective so that you can think more realistically," she says.