Tinx Wants You To Make A Crush List ASAP

For our conversation over Zoom, Tinx (aka Christina Najjar) took a break from signing bookplates. “I actually need to get better handwriting,” she says, holding one up to the camera. “At least people will know it’s really me signing them.” That reframing is something she does instinctually, and The Shift, her first book, is all about teaching her followers how to do the same.

Out May 23, The Shift offers a mix of advice and personal anecdotes, all centered around switching up your inner monologue to be more hopeful. The book reads like a stolen glimpse into your big sister’s diary — assuming the diary was spell-checked and divided into chapters. For fans of Tinx, this isn’t a surprise; the 32-year-old content creator is often called TikTok’s big sister, a go-to for life and love advice for her 1.5 million followers.

One of her favorite pieces of advice? Make a crush list. “It’s half manifestation, half organization — kind of a little witchy ritual,” she tells Elite Daily. “You write your crushes down. And if you put them on the list, they are called into your life.” Tinx, who famously manifested herself a few dates with Diplo, swears by this technique: “It genuinely works.”

Here, Tinx shares all the crush-list tips and tricks you need to know — plus, what else you can expect to read about in The Shift.

Elite Daily: Congratulations on your new book! In your mind, what makes this book different from other dating guides?

Tinx: It is a dating book, but it's also a guidebook for self-esteem. I truly think that by focusing on yourself and filling up your cup first, you will attract a better partner and have a better time dating.

ED: In addition to advice, the book has a lot of personal stories. Your audience has seen you single, in relationships, and reeling from breakups. Do you ever hesitate to share so much?

T: Totally. That was a really scary part about writing. I can put up a TikTok about a breakup, but I can always delete it, or it fades away. The internet moves really fast. But in the book, I literally wrote about my favorite sex position. That's going to be out there forever.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, like, "My grandkids are probably going to read this." But that's also the beauty of it. The book’s recording a moment of my life when I do want to share all that stuff.

ED: One part of the book you probably won’t mind your future grandkids reading: the crush list. Can you tell me more about it?

T: My friend originally thought of the concept and taught it to me. Basically, you create a list of anyone you’re crushing on. You can put celebrities on there, but the best technique is to put someone who’s already in your orbit — maybe a friend of a friend. It's like witchy powers... just a little note to the universe that you’re open for mischief.

It works so well to bring these crushes into your life, but it also helps if you're ever feeling hopeless about dating. You can always look at your crush list to remind yourself that you still have all these amazing people to meet.

I literally run on crush power. It’s the best, warmest, bubbliest feeling in the world.

ED: Why do you think it’s so important to embrace crushes?

T: I literally run on crush power. It’s the best, warmest, bubbliest feeling in the world. People think talking about crushes is frivolous or silly, but what are we on Earth to do if not fall in love, have fun, and flirt with people?

ED: Do you have any tips for starting your first-ever crush list?

T: If you think of a person in your life where you're like, "God, I always had a crush on him in college," put them on. A favorite celebrity is always a great one. Also, if you see someone regularly — maybe your barista's super cute, add them. You don't even have to know their name. You can write, "Cute gym guy.” Just have fun with it. Nobody’s going to see. I keep mine under lock and key.

ED: Oh, sounds like yours is top secret. Have you ever shared it with anyone?

T: No, but actually... I’ve never talked about this before, but in college, my friend made a PowerPoint of all my crushes and their pros and cons. We called it "my pies." This is going to make me sound bad, but my friends would always tease me, saying, "Oh, she's a baker because she has so many pies in the oven." I wonder if she still has that PowerPoint somewhere.

ED: I love that. Logistics-wise, how long should a crush list be?

T: As long as you want. I wish mine was longer. I'm actively taking new crushes right now. I just added a celebrity who’s on a TV show. I know this is delusional, but I'm certain I'm going to meet him this summer and I'm going to date him. I won’t name anyone now, but when it happens, I'll DM you, "Told you."

ED: I’ll be looking out for it. You sound confident it’ll work out. Why do you think this type of manifestation works so well?

T: It’s cheeky, fun, and low lift. Sometimes when people think about manifesting, they think it's really intense, like you need to have a bunch of crystals and cast spells. But it can be as easy as saying you're open to love.

ED: In your experience, do crush-list crushes lead to relationships?

T: It's not rare for someone on your crush list to become your partner, but it’s not a vehicle to get a relationship. It's more about creating “love energy” around you. Then, you usually meet people out of nowhere. That’s the point: have fun, be goofy with your friends, write celebrities on the crush list. And then one random Sunday, you'll be walking your dog and boom, you'll meet someone who blows everyone else out of the water.

ED: We know you’re adding crushes to the list, but what about taking people off?

T: The bummer is that most of the time with straight men, when you get close to them, the crush disappears. But that's OK. That's why it's a lighthearted thing. It's more to create that fun energy around you.

ED: From the baby pink cover to the focus on crushes, a big part of your book is embracing girliness — and all that youthful, fun energy. Was that a big focus for you while writing?

T: It’s such a key message I want to get across. I'm very playful, but that’s something we often lose as we get older. I think that’s why so many adults are depressed because we start taking things too seriously, but you should absolutely do whatever makes you happy. It’s the same thing with crushes. It's the same thing with the color pink.

I don't allow the things that make me happy to discredit me. That's especially hard for women and why I want to bring attention to it. You can be a raging Taylor Swift fan, but also be a serious academic. I wear heart jewelry all the time, but that doesn’t make my work any less important. The two do not cancel each other out.

ED: Your book is like the Elle Woodsification of all of that: crushes, the color pink, dating, and self-love.

T: Yes! The Elle Woodsification. Wow, I'm stealing that. Incredible.

ED: Speaking of fun phrases, you’re known for your “Tinxisms.” What’s one mantra to live by, and one to date by?

T: My mantra to live by would be: Having fun is so fun. We all need to have fun. It's simple, but we need to be reminded of it. One mantra to date by would be: What's meant for you won't miss you, and what misses you wasn't meant for you. If I could have understood that earlier, I would've had a better time in my 20s.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.