Love is beautiful. Though it’s not necessarily easy by any means, when you’re more aware of how you give & want to receive love, you feel more at peace & hopeful in your current & future relationships. Even though I’m currently single, with Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought it’d be a good time to discuss the Five Love Languages just in case any of you were struggling with your own Valentine’s Day plans. That said, here are the Five Love Languages for giving & receiving love:
- Quality Time
- Acts of Service
- Gifts
- Words of Affirmation
- Physical Touch
Knowing the love language of others as well as knowing what your love language is, is beneficial to all of the relationships that you will have in your lifetime. Being aware of how others want to be loved allows you to cater to them & make them happier. For example, my sister’s love language is words of affirmation, so when I can tell she’s feeling down or being moody, I tell her everything that I appreciate about her in hopes of turning her mood around. For instance, I’ll thank her for brewing coffee in the morning, cooking dinner in the evening, or simply unloading the dishwasher. Basically, I’ll tell her how much I appreciate her & everything she does for me, & it usually works really well by the way. lol
When I’m in a relationship & I feel it’s too soon to talk about love languages, I usually shower my partner with a little bit of every love language then tune in to what I feel they react to in the most positive manner. For physical touch, I’ll offer a massage, play with your hair, or give you gentle, loving touches & kisses when you least expect it. For words of affirmation, I’ll write heartfelt cards for special occasions, & text kind words, just because. For acts of service, I’ll offer to cook dinner, bake dessert, make a sandwich, wash dishes, clean up after myself, or simply order takeout when you’re too busy & feeling overwhelmed, without being asked. For gifts, I always remember conversations that we have & consider something that I know will truly touch your heart to receive.
After “I Love You”s have been said between you & your partner, it’s usually a good time to finally talk one-on-one about how you prefer to receive & give love to improve the love that already exists within your relationship.
My primary love language is quality time, followed closely by physical touch. (While I do have a bit of everything across the board, I got 33% quality time & 30% physical touch on the quiz, if you’re curious.) I love having spontaneous adventures & traveling with my loved ones. I love uninterrupted quality time, especially with phones turned off & out of sight. I also love discreet, loving touches, holding hands, fingers running through my hair, massages, & stealing quick kisses when no one else is looking.
I highly encourage you to learn the love languages of every important person in your life. There’s nothing better than being loved & being able to share your love with another person. At the end of the day, you’ll always attract more love into your life when your actions come from a place of love as well.
XO Denise