When you are in love, you often think about the person you care for, but more than that, they are your first thought in the morning and last thought before going to bed. Only a trained medical professional, like a doctor or mental health professional, can help you determine the next best steps for you. Stephanie L. King has had an obsession with words since she was seven and chronicled her life in a red and blue Bugs Bunny diary. She’s a poet who wrote for The Wall Street Journal and The Patriot News in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before transitioning careers to become an English Language Arts teacher to talented urban middle schoolers.
Your interest in spending time with them doesn’t depend on their mood or energy level. Even when they feel sad, cranky, or frustrated with life, you still want to show up and offer support. If you’ve experienced relationship trauma or heartbreak before, you might assign particular importance to this sense of emotional safety. When spending time with family and friends, you might talk about them a lot and imagine how much your loved ones will like them, too.
Are you questioning whether the strong feelings you have for someone mean that you are in love? It’s a common dilemma that many people face. Here are some signs that may indicate you are in love:
Do you really value what they think and what they have to say? If you have to make a big decision, do you ask them for their input? It’s also a good sign if you notice the other person’s flaws, but you accept them for who they are anyway. When you’re in love with someone, you’ll want to be the best version of yourself around them. Pay attention to whether you enjoy helping them and spending time with them—even when you’re not doing anything that exciting together.
This will calm down as you grow more comfortable around each other. If the person you’re crazy about loves to spend time with these friends and family members, you want to love their company, too. Maybe not all of them will love you, but at least some of them will see what you hope this person sees in you. When you’re falling in love with someone, you don’t think ahead to the cost of compromising your beliefs.
Because it takes so much effort to figure out if you’re meant to be, you’ll likely start to lose sight of who you are as a person. You won’t have time to see friends, you won’t feel invested at work, and you may drop hobbies that were once important to you. Sometimes it’s helpful to focus less on how you feel about your partner and more on how you feel about yourself, says O’Reilly. If you notice your feelings shifting, but you aren’t sure what to make of it, she recommends analyzing who you’ve become in this relationship. Love can be blinding, especially in the early days when everything is fresh and new. If you were head-over-heels from the start, you likely didn’t notice that your partner chews really loudly, that they constantly spill their coffee, or that they always forget to use their blinker.
1. Constant Thoughts
While the highs and lows can be exhausting, your emotional state is, for the most part, dependent on your love interest’s behavior toward you. This has a lot to do with brain chemicals, but they aren’t the whole story. Your focus would be on the rose he bought for you, or on that smile of hers that makes your stomach flip every time you see it.
One of the key indicators of being in love is constantly thinking about the person. If they are the first thing on your mind when you wake up and the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep, it could be a sign that you are in love.
When you love someone, you begin to become dependent on them for big or small things. At times, you feel that your happiness is dependent on their happiness. If you want to make sure you are in love before coming out with “I think I’m in love,” study your need for physical touch with your partner. When in love, you regard any activity as an opportunity to spend more time with your partner. If you are in love, you want the relationship to last and for them to meet other important people in your life. Loving someone means taking them as they are and helping them grow in the areas they desire to work on.
2. Happiness and Excitement
Being in love often brings a sense of happiness and excitement whenever you are around the person. If they make you feel elated and bring joy into your life, it could be a strong indication that you are in love.
3. Willingness to Compromise
When you are in love, you are more willing to compromise and make sacrifices for the person you care about. You prioritize their happiness and well-being above your own, showing that your feelings run deep.
4. Emotional Connection
An emotional connection is a crucial aspect of being in love. If you feel a deep bond and connection with the person that goes beyond physical attraction, it could be a sign that you are in love.
5. Long-Term Compatibility
Lastly, being in love involves envisioning a future with the person and seeing them as a long-term partner. If you can picture a life together and share similar values and goals, it’s likely that you are in love.
In conclusion,
While it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what love feels like, these signs can help you determine if you are truly in love with someone. Remember that love is a complex and multifaceted emotion, so trust your instincts and listen to your heart to know if you are in love.
