Falling in love is a beautiful, powerful, overwhelming and sometimes confusing experience. Love is complex and it can be hard to understand. How do you know when you’re in love? For most people, it’s something that you just know. It’s a feeling and it’s undeniable. For others though, it isn’t quite as clear. Like I said, love is complex. Here are ten signs to help you decide whether or not you’re in love.
10: Certain songs make you think of them.
Do you smile when you hear a certain song just because it happened to be playing while you were with the object of your affection? Does a certain song make you think of the person you have feelings for just because the lyrics seem to describe how you feel or seem to describe them as a person? While this one can be applied to good friends, family members or even a family pet, listen to the type of song. Is it a love song? There’s your answer.
09: You buy them “just because” presents.
You’re out shopping for something for yourself and you see a little trinket that you just have to buy for that special person in your life. It’s not their birthday and there are no special holidays coming up but you just can’t resist. Again, this one can be applied to friends as well but how often does it happen? What kind of gift are you getting them? How often do you buy “just because” presents for your other friends. The answers to those questions will help you see if this one applies to you.
08: You think about them all the time.
If you daydream about the person all the time and your mind seems to wander back to them no matter what you’re doing, chances are you want to be a lot more than friends with that person. If those daydreams bring a smile to your face even when you’re in the worst of moods, you might have a crush but you also might be falling in love.
07: You think about the person before you think about yourself.
Let me clarify this one. It isn’t about putting the person before yourself or making yourself miserable to make them happy. This one simply means you are more likely to ask if they want the last slice of pizza, if they need anything while you’re at the store or rent the movie they want to see even though there’s one you’d like to see instead. In a healthy relationship, this won’t happen all the time because they’d be just as willing to do the same for you.
06: You can imagine a life together.
You imagine your future and they’re a part of it. You can imagine yourself sitting on the front porch old and gray. When you turn your head, there’s your love interest sitting beside you also old and gray. You might not imagine a wedding and children. That stuff just isn’t for everyone but if you can see yourself old and you still see them in your life, you’re definitely in love.
05: You’re happy just spending time with them.
This one goes double if you’re not typically a homebody. If your idea of fun on a Saturday night before this person came into your life was a packed club, drinks, dancing and not calling it quits until the sun came up and suddenly you find that your ideal Saturday night is just chilling out on the couch beside your lover in comfy clothes with a movie on, you’ve got it bad. When the person’s company is all you need to feel good, you’re definitely ready to say the ‘l’ word.
04: You look forward to spending time with them.
You’re at work or at school watching the clock. The minutes are passing like hours. You can’t wait until it’s all over the day but not because you don’t want to be at work or school. You’re not excited about the end of the day because it means going home but instead you’re excited because it means seeing that special someone in your life. Another scenario. That special someone is picking you up for a date. You’re pacing the floor and checking the window every five minutes. Your heart is racing. You’re excited. This is a real big sign that this is a lot more than a casual relationship.
03: You accept their flaws.
No one – and I mean no one – on the face of the planet is perfect. Everyone has flaws and your significant other is no exception. You’ve probably already seen the flaws in the person you’re with. If you’ve accepted those flaws as part of who your significant other is and are willing to help them work on those flaws should they so desire, if you’re not already in love, you’re well on your way to it.
02: You feel relaxed and comfortable when you’re with them.
Being in love means being able to share yourself completely with someone. It means letting someone see you at your best and your worst. When you’re really able to relax with someone they see who you are entirely. They get to know you the way few other people do. If you can truly, honestly say that the person your with knows you better than nearly everyone else in your life and when you can be with the person without feeling like you have to hide certain things about yourself you can say with almost complete certainty that you’re really in love.
01: Listen to your gut!
Those famous butterflies in the stomach are real. Falling in love with someone for real makes you almost feel sick to your stomach. It’s like you have a knot in your stomach when you’re around them. Although it sounds bad, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. When you’re able to open yourself up to someone and let them see who you are and accept them for who you are, you know. It might be buried someone in your mind behind fear, confusion and uncertainty but that knowledge is there. Listen to your gut. It knows the story.
