What should text back

Post Senning's general rule is to not wait longer than one to three hours to reply, he tells TI. If you're crushing on someone, don't play mind games, he says. Healthy relationships aren't built on gaining emotional power over people by not texting them back. The appropriate time lapse depends on a mutual and unspoken set of emotional expectations, Post Senning says. The longer you date and build a relationship with someone, the larger the expectations for a quicker text reply.

If you just started dating someone, this can be tricky. In the beginning, you shouldn't expect each other to text back immediately, he says. But if you've dated someone for multiple months or a year, you should generally text each other back within the hour that you see the message. When it comes to modern romance and texting, Post Senning says to present yourself as considerate, respectful, and honest. In the end, Post Senning also reminds us to not take things too seriously. So how can you stop this cycle before it starts?

There is no one-size-fits-all way to curb overthinking. But, before letting your texting anxiety get the best of you or blocking their number, try these three steps. Before labeling your crush as a ghost , try giving them the benefit of a doubt at least for a few hours. There are plenty of reasons they might not get back to you right away — they could be busy at work, not in the mental space to chat, or dealing with bad cell service. They also just might not be glued to their phone. Not everyone is like that.

So give your crush some time to live a life beyond their phone and think of a thoughtful reply. Patience is key here. If you have given them the time to respond at least 24 hours and still hear nothing, sending a follow-up text can help clarify things.

That's right, you'll be away from your phone for a bit. Planning to hang out with your bestie? How about turning off your phone so you can really enjoy their company without distractions? Instead of checking your phone compulsively in class or while at work, put it on silent and check it during your break.

The next time you meet up with them, not only will they be totally impressed with how multi-faceted you are, but you'll actually have transformed yourself into the person that you otherwise were putting effort into seeming more like — someone who's got too much going on to let someone they're dating consume them.

Or, better yet, you could say IDGAF to the whole situation and respond to his text or her text whenever you want, despite how it might come off.

Real gets real. When you start with 'game,' it's almost impossible to convert to 'real. Anyone who's worth their salt will be super pumped to hear from you exactly when they hear from you.

April Masini , relationship and etiquette expert. Susan Winter , relationship expert. John Keegan , dating coach. James Preece , dating coach and relationship expert.