Love is a wholesome and complex emotion that can be expressed in very many ways. One way to better understand the complexity of love and how to express and receive love is through the concept of love languages. Everyone has their way of receiving and giving love. Love languages are essentially different ways in which people prefer to receive love and affection from their partners.
Understanding your love language as well as your partner’s can go a long way in strengthening the emotional connection between the both of you and the overall health of your relationship creating a healthy bond.
There are five main love languages: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. Each of these love languages has its unique characteristics and preferences.
Here are some ways to ensure you receive love or give love to your partner regarding your love language.
Words of Affirmation.
Words of affirmation are verbal expressions of love and appreciation. This could include saying “I love you” or giving compliments to your partner on their appearance, actions, or achievements.
A sign that your love language is words of affirmation is you enjoy or love receiving compliments or praises from those around you. A quick “You are doing a good job” from your partner puts a smile on your face the whole day.
Acts of Services.
Acts of service include doing something for your partner to show that you love and care for them. It is not to be confused with the basic roles you are supposed to do in a relationship as an individual but rather something you would go out of your way to do for your partner to make them feel loved and appreciated.
This could include tasks such as cooking dinner, running errands for them, and picking an outfit for them for the next day to wear. The examples are numerous and they will put a huge smile on your partner’s face.
Receiving Gifts.
Receiving gifts involves the act of giving and receiving tangible gifts as symbols of love and affection. This is often seen as the superior way of showing and receiving love and affection but it is just as important as all the other love languages.
The gifts do not necessarily have to be expensive, a bouquet or a bar of chocolate goes a long way. However, if you are feeling very generous, buy your partner an expensive gift to show how much you value them.
Quality Time.
Quality time involves spending quality, uninterrupted and focused time with your partner. This is important as it gives you both time to get to know each other on a deeper and more intimate level.
The more time you spend with a person the better you get to know them. This could include activities such as having a meal together, going for a walk together, or engaging in a shared hobby.
Physical Touch.
Physical touch is a love language that I know is a favourite among many. I know it is my favourite. It involves expressing love through physical gestures such as hugging, kissing, or holding hands. This love language creates such a beautiful intimacy in a relationship and takes the emotional connection to a whole other level.
While it is important to understand your love language it is also very important to recognize and understand your partner’s love language as well. If your partner’s love language is words of affirmation, it is important to vocalize our love and appreciation for the very often.
If their love language is physical touch, holding their hand when walking or when doing a shared hobby could go a long way in making them feel loved and appreciated.
Recognizing, understanding, and respecting your partner’s love language can help avoid miscommunication and frustration. If your love language is receiving gifts and your partner’s love language is acts of service you might feel neglected if they do not get you thoughtful gifts leading to resentment which might cause a lot of friction in your relationship.
However, understanding that their way of expressing love is through acts of service can help you feel a lot more appreciative of their efforts. It is also very important to communicate what your love language is to your partner to avoid any miscommunication.
Everyone has a primary love language, but you may also appreciate or enjoy other love languages. Just because your primary love language is word affirmation does not mean you cannot enjoy hand-holding or receiving a bouquet.
It is important to incorporate all the love languages into your relationships to create a beautiful healthy relationship and can be very beneficial in strengthening the emotional connection between the both of you
