How Long Should I Wait To Text Him Back After He Ignored Me? (8 THINGS TO KNOW)
Being ignored is a horrible feeling – especially if it is by someone you are into! If you find that the person you have been developing feelings for, and getting your hopes up that something might happen, starts to ignore you – should you give in and text again?
If this is someone that you genuinely have feelings for and want to take a chance on, then you would want to text him back, but you don’t want to do it straight away.
So how long should you wait to text him back after he ignores you?
The general consensus is that you should wait around 2 to 3 days before texting him back.
This gives him the idea that you aren’t constantly waiting on him, and that you are not going to be the only one to make an effort going forward.
If you find yourself in this predicament, keep reading to find out why it is happening, and what you should do…
How Long You Should Wait To Text Back
Avoid any temptation to text him back as soon as possible if he is ignoring you. You don’t want to land up double texting him in a few minutes and come across as too desperate or needy, which might be playing into what he wants!
If he is ignoring you and is not texting you back, then you should wait at least 2 to 3 days before texting him back. This could be a polite follow-up text, and then you can see what happens from there.
There might be a very valid reason why he hasn’t texted you back, so you don’t want to burn bridges with a rude text before finding out what is happening.
Also, when I recommend waiting 2-3 days to text back, it’s in the scenario that he ignored you for a couple of days. Not for four hours because he was at work.
Mandatory Note: Whenever I write articles like this, I get some angry emails about ‘you’re promoting playing games,” ‘just text back and be direct,’ ‘maybe he was just busy’ blah blah blah.
Okay. One. I am not promoting playing games. I just don’t believe a man who disrespects and ignores you is worthy of your attention. And especially not your immediate attention.
Some will read this and think that’s petty, I think it’s self-respect.
So yes, if you ignore me, I will give you less attention than before. I’m not rewarding bad behavior and I sure as hell won’t be at your beck and call.
And the advice I give will always reflect my own thoughts on this subject. I don’t want YOU to be anyones doormat or plaything.
But as all things, if my advice doesn’t resonate with you, it’s on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. Form your own conclusions. Decide for yourself.
But just know, if you give a lot of attention to a man who gives you breadcrumbs, that won’t make him want to give you a whole cake.
Why He Might Be Ignoring You
The worst thing you can do is jump to conclusions if he is ignoring you. Life is busy and sometimes things get forgotten and fall to the wayside.
Before becoming upset and sending a strongly worded text to him after he has been ignoring you, consider why he might be acting this way.
Here are some reasons why he might be ignoring you (both good and bad)
He Has Lost Interest
Unfortunately, it could be the case that he is ignoring you because he has lost interest and does not feel any drive or desire to continue the relationship.
While this might not be what you were hoping for and while it might be quite hurtful, it is better that you find out sooner rather than later.
You might be able to work out that he has just lost interest in you by his messages (when they do come through) being short and disinterested.
He Is Playing The Field
He could be keeping his options open and isn’t dedicating all of his attention to you. There could be other girls that he is texting, and he just replies to whoever he feels like replying to at the moment.
You definitely deserve better than this, and if you think this might be the case, then you should move on!
He Is Busy
It could just be that he is busy at the moment and hasn’t got the spare time to text back straight away. He could be busy at work or studying, and he genuinely does still like you, but he has other things going on that are keeping him distracted.
He Is Scared To Move Too Fast
You may be moving a little faster than what he is comfortable with and he has stopped replying in response to this.
He is nervous that if he reciprocates, he might find himself deeper involved than he wanted to be.
In a perfect world, someone would just be honest and direct and tell you “I feel like things are going too fast for me”
But this isn’t a perfect world and he just may not respond instead.
He Is Drawing Boundaries
You might have done something that he is not completely okay with, or you might be acting a bit too needy or possessive, and he could stop replying to you to draw a line in the sand.
It would be better to talk this through as adults, so if you think this could be the case, it is best to just talk to him about it.
Why You Should Wait To Text Back
There are a good few reasons why you should wait to text back when he is ignoring you.
There is nothing wrong with taking a step back and waiting 2 to 3 days before sending him a follow-up text, and here is why!
You Have Time To Think
You might get quite upset, and understandably frustrated if you think that he is ignoring you. Acting on these emotions could see you texting him something you might regret later on, especially if you find out that there was a legitimate reason he was not replying.
Waiting a few days gives you time to take a breath and calm down, and to think about what you want to say to him. Yes, you can still be upset, but at least you won’t be acting on emotions alone.
You Will Make Him Wait
He is making you wait for a response, and you should be able to do the same thing.
By not texting him quickly asking why he hasn’t replied, you are showing that he is not the most important thing in your life and that you do have other things to worry about.
This gives you some good leverage in the relationship and puts you on an even playing field, so it does not seem like you are more desperate for conversation than what he is.
How You Should Text After He Ignores You
The text you send to him after 2 to 3 days when he has been ignoring you is an important one, and you need to word it carefully. If you come off too aggressive or too strong, and he wasn’t ignoring you out of malice, you could ruin the relationship.
You also do not want to be too kind and too sweet and let him off the hook if he was actually ignoring you!
Send a text with little emotion, and with a carefree and easy-going tone. Do not ask why he has ignored you, but just send a follow-up text.
His reply, or lack thereof, to this should tell you a lot about the relationship moving forward!
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Founder. Entrepreneur. Recovering Perfectionist. Not necessarily in that order.
I run on bad jokes and good food. Lover of life and experiences, I did the nomad thing for four years.
Semi-Based in Miami currently.
In my free time, you can find me reading, running my cats Tinder profile, or trying out a new fitness class. You can find me on Instagram