Knowing what love is and how to express love are two different discussions. You may see a beautiful couple on Instagram or admire a very romantic couple in your neighborhood, but when it comes to you, you seem to be struggling to have what they have.
It’s not magic or ill luck that you struggle to find or express love. You may not know the right way to approach it.
You might be missing the main ingredient of all romantic unions —love. Several people in relationships have thrown in the towel on what would have been a blissful union because they did not express love or know how to express love to their significant other. Others have been trying to make their relationship work without this main ingredient. If this describes your situation, you will find this helpful article on how to express love.
How to Express Love in a Relationship Even if You Are an Introvert
Figuring out what love looks and feels like is one step. For most people, it’s an easy step. Growing up in a loving home, seeing your parents love each other, receiving gifts from your parents on random occasions, having loving and caring siblings, etc., can help you learn about love and how to express love from an early age.
Nowadays, with the internet, it is even common to find couples expressing love publicly in very admirable ways. As such, figuring out how to express love to family members is not difficult. The main issue, however, is how to express love in a relationship.
Many people believe that love only has to be felt in expressing love. This probably stems from the feeling that they deserve all the love in the world. As a result, when they don’t feel love in measure, they move on to the next relationship/partner. Needless to say that this method of expressing love is rather self-centered.
When it comes to love, you need to show/express it as much as you want to receive it, and like the old saying, “actions speak louder than words”. So outlined below are different ways how to express love in a relationship.
How to Express Love Through the Five Love Languages
According to researchers, there are five ways to learn how to express love when it comes to expressing love. These are called love languages.
Each person has a preferred method when it comes to receiving love. A person can appreciate the love shown by any one or more of the five methods, but it is best to figure out which love language your partner prefers, enjoys, and appreciates most. Not only would this be enlightening, but it would also help you learn how to express love to your significant other in the best possible way they would enjoy. The five love languages include:
- Words of affirmation
- Quality time
- Gifts
- Acts of service
- Physical touch
Through words of affirmation, individuals can learn how to express love through verbal compliments, positively reaffirming statements, voicing their feelings, and telling their partner how much they love and mean to them.
Spending quality time with your partner is another love language. How to express love this way is by creating and having memorable moments with your partner, giving them undivided attention, and supporting them with your presence whenever necessary.
Gifts are one of the most popular of the five love languages. Partners that appreciate gifts as a love language enjoy and respond better emotionally when they receive gift items, thoughtful presents, or other physical items that represent love, such as jewellery, flowers, etc. Some gestures too can pass as gifts, in this regard, such as bill settlements, etc.
Acts of service as a love language refer to physical activities that can also pass as romantic gestures, especially when they are well-thought-out, e.g., cooking your partner a nice dinner after they’ve had a long day, walking the dog, etc.
Finally, physical touch is another popular love language among individuals. Physical touch entails bodily contact in romantic ways such as holding hands, touching your partner’s hair, giving affection, sex, etc.
Other Ways to Express Love in a Relationship
- Show Appreciation
It may sound cliché, but you can learn how to express love by expressing appreciation often. Your partner will find it positively reinforcing when you express gratitude for even the littlest things. This does not only mean acknowledging their efforts. It also extends to the personality traits you admire, their qualities, etc. You can do this either verbally, by a text, note, by giving them a gift, or by treating them to a dinner or a special experience, they would appreciate equally.
- Be Supportive
This is one interesting method to express love to your significant other. Often neglected, showing support for your partner’s goals, ambitions, aspirations, business, etc., is one way you can show your partner you love them. Let your words and actions support them loudly.
Regarding your partner’s ambitions, no length is too far to go for them. If they need assistance in an area of your expertise, offer to help them out. This shows that you’re actively interested in their happiness, success, and well-being. And that’s what love is all about.
Give a listening ear: Giving a listening ear to your partner emphasizes attentiveness and active listening to your partner’s words, actions, body language, etc. Naturally, we are predisposed to perceive sounds that happen around us. However, active listening and attention are far more complex. It involves a conscious effort to understand what the other person is saying, their reasons for saying what they said, and their body language while talking. It also entails active involvement in a conversation or interaction with your partner by asking relevant questions or responding appropriately rather than passively absorbing what is being said.
When you pay attention to your partner during a conversation, you will be able to also understand their body language and non-verbal cues, which is a great step toward understanding your partner’s feelings. Showing interest in your understanding of your partner’s feelings by listening actively and paying attention to them is an exemplary method of expressing love to your partner.
- Share happiness and in their happiness
Celebrating your partner’s wins is another method how to express love. Especially after giving them your support, you must also relish their satisfaction. Seize the opportunity to create and enjoy more memorable moments together as this strengthens the bond between you and your significant other.
Researchers posit that laughter builds emotional connections between people and strengthens already existing ones. Share fun experiences, memes, jokes, etc., with your partner to express your love for them on random occasions. Of course, happiness is an infallible proof of love.
- Express Kindness
Being kind is one important aspect of expressing love that is often disregarded. It is imperative to have a kind partner as much as it is to be a kind partner. A kind partner naturally leans toward expressing love and care towards their significant other. Therefore, in times of uncertainty on how to express love, it is easy to think about what a kind person would do in your shoes.
Express kindness to your partner constantly, even when you both have disagreements or fights. As a kind person, you will show affection and support for your partner when they’re in need or feeling down, overwhelmed, frustrated or tired. This builds a stronger emotional bond between you and your partner.
- Random Romantic Acts
This is an inexhaustible way to express love to your partner. How to express love through random romantic acts is by being spontaneous with romance. Send them hilarious memes, cute and sweet messages, and emojis, and show them that they are on your mind even as you go about your day.
Archaic methods of communication may be dead, but romance is not. Leave a handwritten love note lying for your partner to find under their pillow or in their wardrobe, bathroom, kitchen, trouser pockets, etc. You can even send them a postcard via mail. If possible, encrypt the message in the note in a local dialect, a puzzle, or some secret codes both of you understand. It’s random and romantic at the same time.
You can also surprise your significant other with a concert ticket to watch their favorite artist or a ticket to an art exhibit or some other special event. You can even plan a surprise trip to their favorite destination for a short getaway. It is blissful seeing them light up with excitement and glee. This is one way to sincerely express your love and appreciation to them.
Now that you’ve learned how to express love to your partner, you can eagerly show them how much you love them with these methods. It’s important to remember the first rule discussed earlier in this article —when it comes to love, you need to show/express it as much as you want to receive it. So, the amount of love you want to receive depends on how much you express love to your partner.
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