Are you in a situationship or trying to cope with (e.g., heal) a no-label relationship? Perhaps you are in a committed relationship now, but you may be in an intentional or unintentional situationship at some point in your life. So, coping with a situationship properly helps you get (real) closure and (truly) move on rather than just carry on with your life.

how situationship became A common vernacular

Originated from the early 1990s in Japan, 友達以上恋人未満 (“more than friends, but not quite as a couple”) was a series of actions of a male who would drive another woman around and provide meals to her without making such a relationship official.

Decades later, the word “situationship”, a portmanteau and common vernacular, first appeared in print in the Western Daily Press, a regional newspaper covering parts of South West England, United Kingdom, in March 2008 (Kreuz, 2026).

In 2017, a COSMOPOLITAN article, written in a first-person point of view, shared that a 27-year-old male explained that a situationship is a relationship between “more than hooking up” and “very much dating”.

Likewise, a 2025 CBC interview, corroborated by Professor Maxwell at McMaster University, reported that although some may believe that the term (situationship) emerged in the era of online dating, it (actually) has existed for a long time.

the popularity of situationship

On that note, a Ugandan study also revealed that young people in Uganda appeared to be increasingly affected by global popular youth culture as a result of globalization (Choudhry et al., 2022). From East Asia and Western Europe to North America and Africa, situationship has gained popularity over time.

why choosing a situationship over a relationship or staying single

In 2024, a qualitative study conducted by Baylor University, located in Texas, United States, showed meaningful insights into why some may continue to engage in such an arrangement, even though it was mostly participated in by college-aged females. Some believed that a situationship was considered a safer or more comfortable option than facing rejection or enduring the loneliness of being single (Dolan, 2025).

On the other hand, Fear of Being Single (FOBS), defined by Spielmann and their team in 2013, denoting that a single status can trigger insecurities, such as concern, anxiety, or distress (Leeby, 2026).

Additionally, Hoan & MacDonald (2024) found that single men, on average, reported lower satisfaction without a romantic partner, whereas single women, on average, reported significantly lower desire for partnership.

Every research has its limitations, yet many sources point to the same result: (traditionally defined) straight females are more likely to choose a situationship over a relationship, and stay single instead of being in a relationship than those of straight males.

situationship is a response to patriarchy

You must walk before you can run, that is, if you want to continue, end, or heal a no-label relationship, a powerful, but most ignored step is to see things from a macro-level perspective.

situationship doesn’t come from nowhere

First things first, did you realize – irrespective of your sexuality – that patriarchy shows up differently in everyday life? From how you sit, walk, stand, and dress yourself to which school, friend, job, and romantic partner you should choose, for many, all of which were planned or pre-determined even before they were born.

You may be no stranger to the following biased, prejudiced statements from your family members, friends, peers or authority figures:

• “If it’s a boy, I’ll sign him up for a sports team.”
• “If it’s a girl, she’ll play musical instruments and read books.”
• “You are a boy, so casual fights are healthy.”
• “You are a girl, so you need to dress moderately and behave like a lady.”
• “Your time is ticking, you are not a male!”
• “You need a woman to help you (manage the household), when are you going to get a wife?”
• “A man is born to lead, protect and direct.”
• “A woman will leave her job for family duties anyway, so why should we promote her?”

It doesn’t matter where you are born; your chances of following in someone’s footsteps, encouraged by a patriarchal society, are high. In other words, in most cases, if you are a male, you are to bear your father, brother, or family’s name and reputation. Having said that, if you are a female, you are meant to serve the family reputation until you are legally allowed to serve another.

being in a situationship can be a way to feel liberated

From Berelevant Network’s professional perspective, being in a situationship can be a way to feel liberated.

Too often, those who are in ambiguous relationships are coerced into “marriage”. As if “setting down” and “starting a family” is the ONLY way of living. Therefore, as long as you are happy with your current situation, generally, your relationship status should not affect your functioning.

6 questions to ask before you begin the process

All in all, if, for any reason, you decide to cope with a situationship, not because of “peer pressure” or “societal expectations or influence”, the process can take anywhere between one day and several years. It will depend on the length of your situationship and in what capacity. For instance, broadly, dealing with a summer fling may need less time and energy than a 4-year no-label relationship.

Here’s a list of questions to ask before confronting an ambiguous relationship:

• How did I get myself into this situation in the first place?
• Did I give explicit consent to a no-label relationship?
• What did we agree on?
• Why did I continue?
• Would it make any difference in my life if I ended this relationship (arrangement)?
• What would the alternative be, if not a situationship?

cope with your Situationship Confidently with berelevant network

In lieu of providing a life template or a list of “here’s what you can or should do”, the Berelevant Network way is to ignite your inner strength.

Starting with asking the relevant and right questions, the Berelevant Network learning eco-system emphasizes a dynamic, interactive and safe environment.

In general, while you attempt to quit the rat race, your world gets noisier.

For example, you are choosing between a job that pays your bills or makes you genuinely happy (but you need to downsize or live a frugal life). People around you, including those who care about you, may start questioning how you are going to fund your lifestyle, pay your bills, etc. Or, they may simply discourage you from pursuing anything else other than what they know (i.e., the easy path).

During that process, your inner voice or your brain may, in the meantime, subconsciously resist the “change” you are about to make. It is called emotional inertia.

Similarly, when you decide to truly cope with a situationship (that has a profound impact on your overall well-being), you want to get a healthy closure. For this reason, you need to stay clear of noise as much as possible.

why berelevant network’s dynamic learning eco-system works

Based in B.C. Canada, Berelevant Network primarily focuses on organic growth and does not support deceptive marketing tactics and Generative AI content.

Berelevant Network’s dynamic learning eco-system works because the team believes that life is not a template. You will not be given templates, guidelines, or piles of generic take-home exercises to follow. Instead, if you ever choose to cope with a situationship, you will be tasked to wave goodbye to what was known, familiar, and safe.

Disclaimer: Berelevant Network does not claim to be a relationship expert. That said, the team advocates and promotes an individualized dynamic learning eco-system that transforms the way every adult learns.

references

博報堂生活総合研究所:シンクタンク. (2026, March 13). “友達以上恋人未満” はなぜ消えた？”草食男子説” を覆す衝撃データ. https://diamond.jp/articles/-/384499?page=2

Kreuz, R. (2026, October 1). The Rise of the Term ‘Situationship’. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/small-talk-and-big-questions/202610/the-rise-of-the-term-situationship

Drost, P. (2025, May 10). Can’t seem to stick a label on your relationship? You might be in a situationship. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/just-asking/what-are-situationships-1.7529702

Hsieh, C. (2017, May 2). Is the “Situationship” Ruining Modern Romance? Yahoo. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/situationship-ruining-modern-romance-193914960.html

Choudhry, V., Petterson, K. O., Emmelin, M., Muchunguzi, C., & Agardh, A. (2022). ‘Relationships on campus are situationships’: A grounded theory study of sexual relationships at a Ugandan university. PloS one, 17(7), e0271495. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271495

Dolan, E.W. (2025, August 4). New psychology research reveals why people stay in situationships. PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-reveals-why-people-stay-in-situationships/

Leeby, C. (2026, February 3). Situationships and the Fear of Being Single. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/consciously-creating-your-soul-life/202602/situationships-and-the-fear-of-being-single

Hoan, E., & MacDonald, G. (2024). “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”: Gender Differences in Singles’ Well-Being. Social psychological and personality science, 16(6), 610–619. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506241287960