Valentine’s Day is upon us. Regardless of how you feel about the holiday, in one way or another, it brings our thoughts towards love. Whether you’ve been together for one month or 40 years, everyone wants to love and be loved by their significant other. While this may look differently to all us, there are some things that speak love more loudly than others. When you’re new to a relationship, it can be awkward or downright terrifying to show that love. For more mature relationships, it’s easy to take love for granted. No matter how you plan on spending February 14th, here are some ways to show your love just how much you love them every day, not just on Valentine’s Day.
Be genuinely interested in them. When we are living life with another person, we eventually begin to feel like we know them inside and out, and the need to ask a question seems unnecessary. In reality, we’re all evolving over time. We gain new interests, develop new dislikes and change our opinions. By taking to time to see how your partner feels about something, you’re showing interest in who they really are, not just taking for granted that they are how you perceive them to be. This will not only make them feel cared about but it will remind you how interesting your significant other really is.
Compliment them. We can also begin to forget how attractive we find each other. Take the time to notice a new haircut or new outfit. Remind your spouse how beautiful their eyes are. Whenever it strikes you that the meal they made was really good, be sure to tell them. Compliments help us feel more appreciated and more attractive.
Hang out together. As we get so busy doing, we often don’t take time to just be together. Lazy Saturday mornings spent having coffee and talking, a relaxed week night catching up on your favorite television show; this down time together is when relationship really happens. You’re able to relax and also connect with each other.
Be spontaneous. Something as simple as a random, funny text in the middle of the day or as grand as a surprise weekend getaway all express to your partner that you’re thinking about them and want to see them happy. Even dancing in the kitchen while making dinner offers a break from the mundane and gives you a chance to laugh together.
Encourage each other. Life can be hard and knowing you have someone in your corner helps a lot. When you encourage your spouse, you’re telling them that you believe in them and know they can do it. This will make them feel not only more confident in themselves, but more loved and secure.
Apologize. While some have said that love means “never having to say you’re sorry” apologizing when you’re wrong can communicate a lot of love. Every relationship is going to have its disagreements and when you admit your fault and say that you’re sorry for hurting them, you can begin to restore any breaks in the relationship and show that you truly care for them and their feelings.