15 Simple Ways to Show Affection
In this article, we will show you 15 simple ways to show affection, to influence your relationships and friendships for the better.
1. Express Your Affection with Words
We are humans, and we can’t read minds. If you stood by a bus and stared at a person’s dress, no one would know what you really think of that dress until you say it to someone. It is in the same way that no one will know about your feelings and affection except you find a way to express them.
To express affection, you have got first to understand that affection is a good thing; being affectionate is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a sign of true strength. Now, learn to express your affection.
· Talk about it.
· Walk over to whoever you feel affectionate about and let them know that you feel that way about them.
· Tell them that you care about them and want the best for them.
· Say it with a bright smile on your face.
· Express it reassuringly
It works wonders.
Also, based on a study, engaging in affectionate behavior directly eases stress symptoms following exposure to an acute stressor.
In the study, a group that expressed their feelings of affection to their loved ones through writing a letter experienced accelerated cortisol recovery (help the body recover from stress).
2. Be Thoughtful
Being thoughtful is taking people’s feelings and needs into consideration; it is realizing that, like you, they are human too and face similar issues as you. One simple way to show affection is to be thoughtful.
Realize that we all make mistakes and show traits that many people find repulsive. Make room for people’s mistakes, and develop a habit of looking at their good sides rather than their not-so-bright sides.
Let your affection move you to consider them just human, with flaws, and let it teach you to embrace them no matter what happens. Look to see them comfortable, to see them happy and sane.
3. Give Them Gifts from Your Heart
Giving is one of the most effective ways of showing love and affection. When we give to people, we are showing them how much they matter to us. We are saying: “I thought about you, and it is why I have decided to give you this.”
Giving doesn’t have to be just big things. When learning how to give to people, you should know that even small things matter; they matter because the motive behind every gift is what matters the most.
According to research, exchanging gifts can be considered an example of commitment and reinforce our social relationships with others. Give what you can, no matter how small. But let it come from your heart, from a place of goodwill and not selfishness.
4. Be There (Supportive) For Them
One of the things we humans crave the most is human connection and support. We almost never want to face difficult situations alone, and so turn to our friends and family for support when these difficult times come.
Show affection by being that friend your friends turn to when they are in difficulty. Be present for them. Give them one of the greatest gifts of all—your time and affection. Give them your presence, offering them safety in the truth that, with you, they are never really alone.
5. Seek Opportunities to Recommend Them
Affectionate people do not only seek good for themselves. They show love and affection by seeking the good of other people. Have you ever seen an ant around a piece of cake, and minutes after, the place was swarming with hundreds of ants? Affection works the same way.
Show your supportive network of friends and family affection by seeking opportunities and recommending these opportunities to them. It shows that you think about them a lot and wants the best for them. It shows that you are an affectionate person.
6. Encourage Them
Encouraging people involves helping them see that they are strong and are able to achieve whatever they set their minds at achieving, no matter how things get.
A simple way to show affection is by encouraging the people you care about. You can do so in a number of ways. Tell them that you believe so much in them and realize that they are able to do whatever they set their minds to achieve.
Also, be a safe space around them, and do not say words that are capable of deterring them and their belief in themselves. Read More…