What does it mean when a man is sliding his wedding ring on and off his finger?
Looking at this from a body language perspective it could mean a number of things, as I’ll explain:
Reasons Why A Man Would Slide His Wedding Ring on and Off
If you notice a man is often sliding his wedding ring on and off and you’re wondering what it means, I can provide a few explanations:
- 1. He’s anxious or nervous so he’s fidgeting. Some guys fidget by playing with their wedding ring, it’s not that uncommon.
- 2. He’s trying to draw your attention to the fact that he’s wearing a wedding ring. Maybe he wants to talk to you about his ring and/or marriage.
- 3. It’s uncomfortable. For some guys – and this includes me – it’s uncomfortable wearing their ring and they end up playing with it.
- 4. They’re thinking about something. Most of us tend to fiddle with something when we’re deep in thought, so it might simply be that.
- 5. They’re struggling with their conscience. If a guy is attracted to another woman, he may be struggling with the fact that he knows he shouldn’t be tempted and is subconsciously playing with his ring.
There can be more to this behavior though, it also depends on how long the guy is removing his ring for and some of his other actions.
Related – Why it’s not disrespectful to remove your wedding ring (in my opinion).
Other Body Language Cues to Look For
When watching a guy slide his wedding ring off and on, if you want to get a better insight into his mind and what he’s thinking, you need to observe his other actions.
Some typical body language cues to look out for when you’re talking to a guy include:
- His eyes. If he’s making strong eye contact, it usually means he’s interested in you and what you have to say.
- His hands. If he’s generally fidgeting along with playing with this ring, such as touching his face or hair a lot, this is also a sign that he could be nervous.
- His posture. If he’s sitting upright it’s a sign that he’s confident and engaged with the person he’s talking to.
- Touch. If a guy finds an excuse to touch you in a friendly way, this is a sign that he’s flirting.
By taking all of these things into account, you should be able to get a better idea of what a guy is thinking about and why he might be sliding his wedding ring on and off.
It’s important to remember that body language is just one part of the puzzle though, you can’t read too much into it.
Why Do Guys Take Off Their Wedding Rings?
If a guy removes his wedding ring, that’s a lot different than just sliding it up and down.
There are various reasons why a guy might take off his ring:
- He could be separated. If you see a man without a wedding ring and know he used to wear one, there’s a good chance he’s separated or even divorced.
- It could be uncomfortable. Some guys play or even take their wedding rings off completely because they’re uncomfortable.
- It may be due to his work. Some jobs require a person to take off their rings as it presents an injury risk.
- He may be hiding the fact that he’s married. We can’t avoid the obvious reason – and I think most people jump to this conclusion – but some guys are up to no good and want to give the impression they’re single.
The bottom line is that if you see a guy without a wedding ring, don’t jump to conclusions.
He may be married, and there might be a perfectly innocent reason for why he’s not wearing his ring.
Why Do People Move Their Wedding Ring to Their Right Hand?
Some guys (and women) also switch their wedding rings over from their left hand to their right sometimes.
This is usually because they are left-hand dominant and find it more comfortable to wear their ring on their right hand.
It’s not a sign that they’re married or not married, it’s simply a preference for how they want to wear their ring.
Related – Reasons why a woman might stop wearing her wedding ring suddenly.
How Can You Stop Fidgeting with Your Wedding Ring?
If it’s you that is sliding, playing, and fidgeting with your wedding ring and you want to stop doing so, there are a few things you can do.
Ultimately, you need to become aware of when you’re doing it and make a conscious effort to stop.
Think about why you might be fidgeting with your ring and try to address that issue.
If you’re finding it uncomfortable, try wearing your ring on a different finger or getting it adjusted so it fits better.
If you’re feeling anxious in social situations, you can try and take some deep breaths and relax.
If a certain someone is making you nervous, you need to tackle that head-on to do something about it – and that’ll depend on your individual situation.
Remember, everyone gets nervous sometimes so don’t beat yourself up about it.
There are worse habits than sliding your wedding ring on and off, but I appreciate it’s something other people pick up on and you increase the risk of losing your ring!
You’ve taken the first steps to find out why you’re doing this, the next step is to consciously do something about it.
Image credits – Photo by Yannes Kiefer on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.