25 Ways To Tell Someone You Love Them, With & Without Words
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Loading... - Benjamin Diaz
- 18 Jul 2022
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Making the decision to tell someone you love them for the first time can feel like a big deal—because it is! Professing your love is vulnerable, exciting, and a milestone in any relationship, so if you're thinking about saying it to your significant other, here's what relationship experts want you to know about making it meaningful.
How to know you're in love.
Everyone experiences love differently, so the truth is, we can't tell you for sure whether you're in love—but we can give you some signs that indicate you are. As psychoanalyst Babita Spinelli, L.P., tells mbg, "For some, it's a slow burn that develops over time, and for others, it may feel more quick like that 'aha' moment. Love does not grow at the same pace for everyone."
According to relationship therapist Ken Page, LCSW, the very question of how to know when you're in love is a profound and rich question of self-discovery. He notes that it's important to get clear on the kind of love you're really experiencing. "Is it infatuation? Is it healthy love? Is it love that can inspire and last? Love is a rich combination of eros, which includes the erotic, romantic, and sexual—and also the warmth and beauty of companionship and care," he says.
Here's our full guide to what true love really feels like, and below, you'll find a quick list of common signs of love:
1. You feel you want to share even the smallest details with the person.
2. You look forward to sharing the moments about your day or your longer history and want to hear details about your person's too.
3. You want to share your world with them.
4. You want to hear their thoughts and understand their emotions better.
5. You look forward to continuing to experience life with them.
6. When you are falling in love, you miss the person and experience a warm feeling when you think about them.
7. You accept all parts of them, including the quirky and the messy.
8. You make them a priority in your life.
9. You care about their needs and their happiness as you care about your own.
10. You can see a future with them and think about them in your long-term life plans.
11. There's a feeling of newness and aliveness that comes with the love.
12. There's an ache and a longing for the presence of the other person.
When to say it.
Just as we all experience love differently, the question of when to say "I love you" will vary from relationship to relationship. What really counts is that your feelings are true and that you're saying it for the right reasons.
If you're curious about the average timeline, however, some research has found men typically take about three months to say "I love you," while women take a bit longer, at about five months.
In general, though, Page says it's usually best to wait until you feel you really know someone—and accept them as they are.
"There is no precise time when to say I love you, [and it's about] being attuned to when you really feel that way and expressing it at the time that you are sure about how you feel," Spinelli explains, adding to be sure you're not dealing with infatuation, feeling obligated to say it, or otherwise doing it with ulterior motives. "Truly loving someone is when you really accept them and see them in your future in a realistic way," she notes.
25 ways to tell someone you love them.
Whether you want to simply come out with those three words, express your love nonverbally, or show them you love them through your actions, here are 25 ways to tell (or show) someone you love them, according to Page and Spinelli.
With words:
"I love you."
"My feelings for you are deepening, and I am starting to fall in love with you."
"You mean the world to me, and I appreciate you in my life."
"I can't imagine you not being in my life."
"I want to share more and more of my life with you every day."
"You are so special to me, and I treasure you and our relationship."
"I appreciate who you are so much."
"Seeing you happy makes me happy." Read More...
