176: Mixed Signals, Friendzones, and Breadcrumbs | In The Trenches

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Dec 9, 2025

Dive into the complexities of modern dating! Explore the psychology behind mixed signals, friendzones, and breadcrumbing. Discover how to differentiate between genuine connections and those that leave you hanging. Learn to recognize avoidant behaviors and the importance of tough conversations for emotional safety. Sabrina offers insights on navigating situationships and taking control of your worth in relationships. Whether it's a slow burn or an unclear dynamic, gain tools to choose what truly serves you!

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ADVICE

Ask For Clarity Early

Ask direct questions when you feel unclear about the relationship instead of filling gaps with fantasies.
Handle the answer calmly and use clarity as a win-win: you either get them or clarity.

INSIGHT

Safety Is Built Through Tough Talk

True safety in a connection means you can have hard conversations without being judged or shut down.
Feeling safe isn't a feeling you manufacture alone; it's created by reciprocal vulnerability.

ANECDOTE

Asking Revealed Friend Vibes

Sabrina shared a story where she asked a guy if they were friends or romantic and he said friend, ending it for her.
The exchange illustrated that it's okay to ask and accept an honest answer.

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In this In The Trenches episode, we dig into the psychology of mixed signals, friendzones, breadcrumbing, and almost-relationships. From slow-burn connections that feel safe but confusing to flirty “friends” who keep you close for validation, we break down how to tell the difference between a secure slow build and self-friend-zoning. You’ll learn why some people want your emotional support without offering real intimacy, how to stop filling in the blanks with fantasy, and what mixed messages actually reveal about someone’s intentions.

We also get into situationships with no clarity, avoidant communication, and the ego-hit that keeps you hoping things will change. You’ll learn the markers of genuine interest vs passive connection, how to initiate the conversations that create clarity, and how to stop outsourcing your worth to inconsistency. If you’re stuck in limbo, questioning the dynamic, or tired of reading between the lines, this episode gives you the tools to see the pattern and choose what actually serves you.

Struggling in dating? Change the way you approach every potential match in 8 Weeks with Sabrina's Healthy Dating Foundation Course HERE!

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