Smiling is one of the easiest ways to broadcast confidence. A relaxed, natural smile shows others that you are sure of yourself and will impress them.

If you start to feel like you are panicking, try focusing on your breathing. Take deep breaths and calm down. Or pretend like you are talking to an old friend, not someone you like. This will make it easier to talk to them.

Try talking about something cute or funny to make you more comfortable with the conversation initially. Tell your crush about a funny thing your brother did or talk about a new movie you really want to see.

Try something like, “I’ve been thinking about you a lot and I want you to know that I like you. ”

When you’re done expressing yourself don’t ask, “So, how do you feel about me?” It is up to them when and if they are willing to let you know. If they say no, then accept their answer and move forward. Say how you really feel, but don’t throw a tantrum. If they say they like you too, that’s great. But don’t make them feel like they owe you a response right away. If they say yes, then you could ask them out. But if you’re younger, you should just be friends.

Choose a time when the person is alone. This is a private matter between the two of you and you should be alone when it happens. You don’t want the object of your affection to have to think about how to react in front of other people in addition to handling the news you just told them. Consider your crush’s schedule too. Don’t tell them how you feel at a time when they are busy and stressed. This might overwhelm them even more and make them respond in a more negative way than they otherwise would.

Try telling them in the peaceful park near your house or when you are both alone in your car.

However, if either of you are the nervous type that might stutter or get sweaty, sending a text or writing a note might be a better option. That way you can think about what you want to say before you actually say it. But keep in mind that texting should be used as a last resort to tell someone how you feel. If you must send a text, try something like, “Hey, I like you. Want to hang out some time?”[9] X Research source Don’t ask someone else to tell him or her for you unless you feel it is absolutely necessary because you are too embarrassed or for some other reason. Make sure if you do ask someone else to tell your crush how you feel that it is someone you trust so they won’t spread rumors about you.

The important thing here is to react with grace. If you get upset or say something mean in response, then it negates all of the nice things you just did and said. And it will definitely eliminate any chance of your crush deciding that they do really like you in the future. Don’t indulge in a pity party or get visibly upset in front of your crush.

Continue being their friend and try to act as if nothing has changed. This will give them a chance to see you in a new light.