True love is a beautiful and intense feeling, and you may not realize it, but you are already in love with someone.
However, you’re unsure of your romantic feelings but too shy to discuss them with anyone. Are you really in love?
Fortunately, your dilemma isn’t unique because millions of people are quite unsure about their feelings.
Therefore, if you’re wondering if you’re falling in love with someone, kindly read on to find out the signs of being in love.
1. You Prefer to Share Your Life With Them.
Falling in love has three components: physical intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, in your case, you don’t need to have all parts.
However, they strongly indicate you’re on the right track, but you can’t conclude your love interest is falling for you just because they show similar signals.
If you prefer to tell everything to someone, you know that you’re falling in love. For instance, you may call them nightly to share what happened in your day. But, moreover, you want to know about their day.
2. You Always Think of Them.
You may find it silly, but your love interest is occupying your thoughts. You replay your conversations at work and think about how your scheduled date will progress.
Moreover, you even daydream about having a future together. For instance, you may reread your love interest’s text messages and repeatedly view their photos because you always think of them.
3. You Want To Know If They Love You, Too.
You often wonder if this someone feels the same. You continuously look for signs that they miss you. Your heart and stomach leap if they want to spend time together.
Falling in love makes you experience a warm feeling every time you think about them. You often smile and have a more hopeful feeling.
4. You’re Like a Teenager Again.
Falling in love allows you produce to produce dopamine, testosterone, noradrenaline, and serotonin.
These chemicals make you feel giddy, happy, euphoric, energetic, and youthful. Thus, it’s no surprise you like a teenager again.
5. You Prioritize Them.
You’re falling in love if you notice yourself reprioritizing, rearranging, and reimagining your life.
Moreover, you don’t feel like you’re making a sacrifice when you make changes. You ensure you’re spending time with your love interest.
6. You Intensely Desire Them.
You can crave someone like you desire, a cocktail or food. Your brain produces more dopamine when you’re in love.
Therefore, you yearn for them as you feel a rush every time you think of them.
7. Their Quirks are Attractive to You.
You like everything about them, even their oddities and quirks. You find the way they do things endearing.
However, their actions are more critical, and you know the emotional climate, including what triggers their anxiety, what makes them happy, and what makes them happy.
Compassion and empathy for your love interest increase because you’re in love.
8. You Feel Better About Yourself.
Falling in love makes you feel you can do more or know more. This self-expansion experience happens when you’re in love.
It means your sense of self increases through your loving relationship with this special someone. For instance, if your love interest is in hiking, you want to be a hiker too.
9. You Ignore Other Appealing People.
If you love someone, you no longer want to find potential partners. You no longer use dating apps. Your attention shifts to your real love interest.
10. You Radiate The Love Vibes.
If you’re in love, you notice yourself enjoying a small chat with a coworker who’s not too pleasant. Moreover, you begin talking with a nosy neighbor.
Your love vibes radiate outside of your happy relationship. You begin to see everyone and everything in a new light.
Love contributes to your positive outlook and sense of well-being.
11. You Assume Their Traits.
Falling in love means you merge with your love intercept. You take pride in your love interest’s achievements.
Moreover, you see yourself in your special someone. Generally, you mistake this person’s characteristics as yours.
12. You Want to Say, “I Love You.”
You know you’re in love because you’re curious about your special someone. You’re looking forward to the day you can say “I love you” to them.
13. Friends Notice You’re in Love.
Friends immediately notice you’re in love because you always talk about them. So if you have a gathering, you want to bring your special someone along.
Moreover, your group notices you spend more time in a romantic relationship. Fortunately, your friends understand but don’t forget to spend time with other people.
14. You See Them in Your Future.
You don’t feel weird planning holidays with your love interest. You book flights for two, and you never get tired of being around them.
Planning weekend getaways with your special someone is a sign of blossoming commitment.
As you envision a future with a significant other, you should begin discussing what this future will be. Moreover, it would help if you ironed out political or religious differences.
15. Falling in Love Feels Right.
You feel sure and right about the relationship when you’re in love. You don’t have doubts or worries.
Critical thinking and social judgment go slow because you’re falling in love. You no longer assess, question, and scrutinize alternatives.
16. You Empathize With Your Special Someone.
You see your love interest as an extension of yourself. Therefore, you share the same feelings with them.
For instance, if they’re hurt, you’re also hurt. You feel empathy towards someone and have no qualms about making tiny sacrifices.
17. You Become a Little Jealous.
It’s natural to feel jealous, but it may become dangerous if you become obsessed with what your love interest is doing.
You start checking their phone when they’re not looking. Jealousy becomes a toxic behavior, and you should know that you don’t have a healthy relationship anymore.
18. Your Relationship Doesn’t Feel Like Hard Work.
When you’re in love, you don’t have to struggle to find time for them because you love being with them. Moreover, arguments aren’t very intense.
You prioritize your relationship and your potential partner’s happiness. You no longer want to win the argument because you don’t want to go on with your life without your special someone.
Assess Your Emotions.
Your feelings play a critical role in your falling in love. An honest assessment of your feelings can help you find a definite answer to whether you’re in love.
1. Recall the Development of Your Strong Emotions.
Reminisce how you met your love interest, and retrace if what you’re feeling now was how you felt before.
Generally, love, at first sight, is infatuation or a sudden physical attraction. But, on the other hand, love blooms over time to something more profound.
2. List the Advantages and Disadvantages.
Make a record of what you like and don’t like about your special someone. It would help to write the pros and cons because you need to assess your strong feeling.
Checking the cons will make think clearer. You may write down even the most trivial benefit or drawbacks.
3. Evaluate Your List.
Can you accept your love interest as a whole person? If not, you’re not in love. For instance, you may overlook they’re messy because you appreciate their engaging conversations or generosity.
However, you may not have unconditional love if you can’t imagine having them in your future. They make you feel fuzzy and warm, but your crush isn’t part of your future.
4. Check for Empathy.
Focus on whether you share their emotions when your special someone tells you some news. For instance, if you cry when they tell you their mother died, you also feel their pain.
5. Assess Your Feelings When Your Special Someone is Not Around.
Do you mean what you say? Does the underlying bond remain steady over time? For example, you may not fret if you miss your significant other, but you have an unhealthy attachment if you miss them every second.
However, if you miss your love interest and want to bond with them, you love them. Getting attached to them means you miss them when you’re not with them.
Moreover, you’re in love if you deeply appreciate your significant other than their flaws.
6. Examine Your Plans.
What are your plans in five to ten years? Are you willing to face the future with your significant other?
Can you take care of your love interest when you grow old? Will they care for you when you get sick?
7. Contemplate How Your Significant Other Changed You.
You may not make a complete 180-degree turn but reflect if you’ve widened your horizons because of your love interest.
For instance, you may not have considered you’d be spending a weekend with your romantic interest planting trees.
You’re happy to connect with nature, and you owe this happiness to your significant other. You would be in love if they helped you become a better person.
8. Observe How Ordinary Things Affect You.
Think about your feelings when you and your love interest do things together. For instance, if you’re looking forward to something you don’t like to do, you’re in love.
Consequently, if you do everyday things with your loved ones but feel bored, you may only be fascinated with them.
9. Consider Jealousy.
How do you feel if your love interest talks about your possible rivals? What’s your reaction if these rivals flirt with your romantic interest?
Periodic jealousy is healthy, but you’re in love if you hang on to your special someone tighter.
On the other hand, if you spy on your romantic interest, you’re not in a healthy kind of love. Instead, you may have been obsessed.
Assess Your Actions.
1. Take a Break.
You should split up and mingle if you’re with others. Moreover, it would be best if you remained engaged in conversations.
You’re probably in love if you notice yourself searching for your love interest. But, then, if you see them glancing at you, you know they love you too.
2. Check Your Physical Reactions.
Consider involuntary responses if your love interest is nearby. Notice hot flashes, rapid heart rate, and sweaty palms.
Moreover, if you clam up for fear when talking with your romantic interest, you’re probably not in love because these actions are signals of infatuation and lust.
3. Assess Your Generosity.
You’re probably in love if you share your possessions with your significant other.
4. Analyze the Frequency of Sacrifices You Make.
It would help if you kept the sacrifices you make in check. For instance, if you cancel your weekend plans to take care of your sick love interest, you may be in love.
However, if you complain, you’re most probably infatuated. On the other hand, you shouldn’t allow others to take advantage of you or give up your career plans.
5. Focus on Mirroring.
Love should be comforting and make you feel relaxed. As a result, you tend to imitate your loved one’s actions.
You’re most likely in love if you notice yourself mirroring your love interest’s actions.
6. Appraise Your Responses to Your Romantic Interest’s Successes.
It’s critical to check how you respond to your love interest’s successes, especially if you failed them.
For instance, if your romantic partner receives a promotion and throws a party, you’re most probably in love.
However, if you’re disappointed, what you feel is just infatuation.
7. Gauge Your Larger Social Circle.
You’re most likely in love if you’ve already introduced your romantic partner to your family and friends.
How Will You Know If What You’re Feeling is Platonic Love
Platonic love doesn’t involve romantic or sexual attraction. You only have a deep affection for another person.
Here are some signs you’re only feeling platonic love:
- Have similar goals, values, and interests
- Discuss relationships and emotions you have with other people
- Support each other through challenges
- Enjoy activities together
Platonic love doesn’t mean you’re hoping and waiting for the other person to love you someday.
If you wish to maintain your friendship, you should ensure you show excellent friendship behaviors:
- Communicate
Maintain your closeness through texting or calling, and you spend much time listening to the other person.
- Set boundaries
Some friends spend the night or hang out for hours. They may also share sexual details of their relationships.
Other people may research these activities with their romantic partners. Therefore, you should discuss boundaries to prevent miscommunication.
- Spend time together
You should connect with the other person, even if you’re not physically together. For example, you can have virtual movie nights, video game sessions, or online chats.
- Provide emotional support
Friendship and love make you overcome life’s challenges. Therefore, you should check on the other person from time to time to ask how you can help.
How Will You Know If What You Have is Romantic Love
Romantic love involves a desire for several connections. You value your friendship and the other person’s personality.
Moreover, romantic love includes a little lust. You may find your loved one’s looks appealing, but you spend more time with them because you value their lasting emotional connection.
You should maintain and cultivate romantic love through the following:
- Practice open communication
Relationships need honesty as you share your feelings, discuss goals, and set healthy boundaries.
- Avoid focusing on lust.
You may fantasize about future encounters with sex, but you shouldn’t be swept away by lust. Instead, it would help to work on building an emotional connection.
- Grow and learn together
Make your relationship last by getting to know each other well. You should discuss goals and dreams, try new things, and share successes and challenges.
On the other hand, you should have your own identity and develop a shared relationship.
Platonic Love vs. Romantic Love
Both platonic and romantic love is valuable. But, of course, it would be best to have connections to live a happy life, and you may be okay with your relationships with friends and family.
On the other hand, your relationship may thrive with a romantic partner. You can’t imagine your life without the right person beside you.
However, remember that your friends should still be a part of your life because these romantic partners come and go.
Platonic love is equally worth pursuing and valuable. Generally, it’s more secure and stable than romantic love.
