It’s pretty self-explanatory that everybody gives and receives love differently. According to the professionals, there are five different “languages” in which everyone interprets that love. These include receiving gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), and physical touch. Here’s how each love language identifies and how knowing yours will help you in the future.
1) Quality Time
People who need quality time crave alone time with their loved one and want to catch up with them by having time alone where they can talk and bond.
2) Physical Touch
This is essential to you if you find yourself feeling lonely and lost if you have not been physically near a loved one recently. You crave to be close to those you care about and demonstrate your love for them with hugs, massages and even sitting close to each other.
3) Gifts
People who need gifts feel validated when you spend money and/or time picking something out for them. Oftentimes, the saying, ‘it is the thought that counts’ really applies here.
4) Acts of Service
People who need acts of service will sometimes ask their loved ones for favors or errands and will be disappointed if they do not follow through. This is because if this is your love language, you use acts of service as an affirmation of the other person’s love.
5) Words of Affirmation
You need words of affirmation if you find yourself constantly needing to hear from your loved one to get reassurance from them. People who want words of affirmation might also fish for compliments because this is the way they feel most loved.
Learning your love language is helpful no matter if you’re single, married, or dating – it can build a stronger relationship with your children, friends, significant other, and even co-workers.
Help express affection
Once you know each other’s love language it will help you and your loved ones to best express affection in ways that you interpret as love. If flowers (or other gifts) is more important to them than hugging every time you say goodbye (physical touch), then go get a couple of flowers!
Better communication
Every time you speak each other’s language you score emotional brownie points. If you don’t know their love language, you may be expressing yourself in a way they don’t reciprocate. It’s important to communicate what you need to feel loved by someone, and vice versa.
Greater intimacy
In a romantic relationship, learning this approach to communicating love will help you confidently express and experience deeper, richer levels of intimacy (both physical and emotional) with your partner.