 Was there ever a time where you felt a spark with someone you were talking to? Maybe it was a blind date or someone you've met in a bar, but it felt like there was a connection. Or maybe you felt a spark while reading a romance novel, and so you're curious about in-person sexual tension. Sexual tension is when we feel sexual attraction or chemistry with someone, but don't have sex, either right away or ever. Our brains can often judge how we feel about someone quickly. A 2015 University of Pennsylvania study of over 10,000 participants found that most people make their decisions about attractiveness within the first three seconds of meeting someone. And considering our bodies respond to the signals our brains send out, we might notice some signs of attraction and sexual tension between us and our person of interest. Now, with all aspects of sex and sexual attraction, it's important to be aware that some signs of sexual tension can be misread. What you might think of as awkward but fun flirting might be someone else's I'm feeling uncomfortable. So go slowly with these things and be careful about reading the signs. Here are nine signs you might be experiencing sexual tension. Number one, attraction. The first and very obvious sign of sexual tension is attraction. We can feel a connection with a new person that isn't sexual at all. So a big difference between a friendly connection and a romantic one is the attraction part. So your first question to tell if what you're feeling is sexual tension is to ask yourself, am I attracted to this person? Do you find yourself checking them out? Remember, our brains know these things sometimes before we realize it. Take a moment to think about how you feel about your new interest. It's a good way to get in touch with your own thoughts and feelings before you go further. You might not be able to tell if you're special someone feels the same, but maybe with some of these other signs you can get a better idea. Two, awkwardness. This isn't always present, but sometimes if we're attracted to someone and still figuring out our own thoughts and feelings about them, we might feel awkward. We might be too busy thinking about the right thing to say or we just keep quiet to make sure we don't say the wrong thing. This can lead to a bit of awkwardness until we're a little more sure of ourselves than the other person. But it's important to remember that awkwardness can also be a sign of other things, such as shyness. So while awkward conversations can be a sign of sexual tension, it shouldn't be the only way to judge it. Number three, immediate connection. On the complete opposite side of awkwardness, you might both feel an intense and instant connection to one another. You've probably heard people describe the feeling of having known this person for a long time despite having just met. You might feel that same sense of connection as you talk to them. This chemistry, the way you two just seem to click, could indicate a level of attraction or sexual tension. Number four, similarities. You might have heard that opposites attract, but in some cases of attraction, like attracts like. So in addition to an immediate connection, you might also notice that you and them share a lot of similar features. This could include shared interests, hobbies, or goals. But it might also include having similar physical features as well, such as the same hair or eye color. Scientists call this assortive mating, where we bond or connect with people based on similarities we can observe. So it's possible that those similarities you're recognizing might be a piece of attraction. And it could be contributing to that immediate connection you're hopefully both feeling. Number five, speedy heart and sweaty palms. We usually tell kids that butterflies in the stomach mean we like someone. That's not far off. Do you notice your heart starts racing more around that special someone or do you notice your palms start to get a little sweaty? These are usually signs of attraction. But in a 2022 study that set men and women up on blind dates, it found that those who were mutually attracted to one another experienced heart rates and sweaty palms that increased and decreased at the same time. Why does this happen? Well, it could be because attraction is often caused by hormones like adrenaline and norepinephrine getting ramped up, which leads us to getting excited, hence the racing hearts and sweaty palms. So if you and your partner are both noticing these signs, you might be feeling a touch of sexual tension. Number six, touch that excites both of you. Are you both feeling a little touchy? No, I don't mean you're feeling grumpy, but are you both finding little ways to touch each other? This could be the brush of a hand or a light touch on the arm or even leaning closer to one another when talking. If you're hugging, you might notice that you both hang on a little longer than you would with others. When we find someone attractive, we want to get closer to them. And one of the ways we do that is through touch. But the touches are usually ones that affect both of you. You're both feeling some level of excitement from them. So if you're finding that both of you are touching each other slightly more, that may be a sign that you're both experiencing sexual tension. Number seven, you enjoy one another's company. Do you both find that you can't get enough of one another? You can talk for hours and hours and still not be tired of each other. Maybe you realize you feel immediately comfortable with each other or you both feel secure in each other's company. And you might even be a little worried that when you both separate for the evening, you'll miss the conversation or feel like you even missed an opportunity. Sure, some of these signs can also mean you're experiencing a friendly connection, but when you combine it with the attraction part, it's usually a good indicator that sexual tension is occurring. Eight, your conversations are very flirty. While you're enjoying your endless conversations, you might also be finding your talk is a little flirtatious. Are some dirty jokes coming up? Does complimenting each other come naturally? And are you finding you're both bouncing off each other in the same playful way? If so, this may be a good sign you're both feeling sexual tension. But if you're finding you're a bit alone on the flirts, don't be too pushy. There's nothing that'll kill sexual tension quicker than trying to force the connection. And number nine, you continue thinking about them after you've separated. A big sign you're feeling sexual tension is that they're still on your mind even after you've been separated for a bit. Are you constantly thinking about your conversations or how good they looked in their outfit? Or maybe you're trying to figure out what your next conversation will be. Perhaps you're also thinking about when you'll see them next. If you continue to think about them no matter how much time you've spent together, you might be experiencing some attraction. If you find out the other person is feeling the same, that's probably a good indication you're both feeling sexual tension. Navigating the world of dating and sex can sometimes be a challenging thing. What we think is a sign of attraction can be someone else's shyness or even discomfort. It's important to remember that even using these signs, it needs to be felt on both ends. And while we can't always tell what someone else is feeling, it's good to understand our own feelings about someone else. Sexual tension can be a fun and exciting start to something more meaningful. But only if for sure, both people are feeling that same pull. Have you ever had a time where you experience sexual tension with someone else? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for watching and don't forget to like and subscribe for more.