‘Am I in Love?’ – Read This and Find Out

Love is a complicated emotion, and sometimes it’s difficult to know whether or not you feel that way towards someone else. How do you know you love someone? Don’t worry; luckily for you, we compiled a list of some of the biggest signs that indicate you’re in love, as well as some ways you can tell your significant other that you love them. Keep reading to learn more about the intricacies of love, and stick around to get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions!

What Is the Meaning of True Love?

Love is one of those feelings that is experienced differently by each individual. How can you be sure that what you’re experiencing is true love? What is love, after all?

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering ‘Am I in love?’ know that your body can indicate the first signs. When you’re around the object of your affection, levels of dopamine and norepinephrine increase; this causes you to experience excitement, nervousness, and pleasure at the same time. The hormones estrogen and testosterone influence your libido and are the cause of lust and increased sexual attraction, while a decrease of serotonin levels leads to feelings of infatuation. Oxytocin (also referred to as the ‘love hormone‘) and vasopressin are other significant hormones that can influence romantic love, since they increase empathy, trust, and promote attachment. 

What Does Love Feel Like?

The first thing most people experience when falling in love is infatuation. At this first stage, you’ll feel nervous, excited, and possibly a little scared when you think about them. As time goes by, these feelings grow into a deep affection towards your partner. You should also keep in mind that platonic love – the love you feel for your family and friends – can be very strong and bring you joy, even though it is not felt and expressed in the same way. This type of love doesn’t incite any romantic feelings and doesn’t cause sexual attraction. 

How Do You Know When You Love Someone in the True Sense of the Word?

Even if you’re certain that what you’re feeling is love, it doesn’t hurt to consider whether or not it’s true love. Love, in the most basic sense of the word, means that you have a very strong, unparalleled fondness for your partner which manifests into devotion. Besides a strong physical connection, love features a long-lasting emotional connection with your partner that increases with intimacy. If you love someone, you’ll start including them in all your future plans – life without them seems unthinkable. You’ll also be willing to put their needs before your own, with their happiness being of paramount importance. 

Still asking yourself, ‘Am I in love?’ You must remember that in the end, true love is intentional – it is a decision you reach consciously every single day that you decide to spend with your partner.

How Long Does It Take to Fall in Love?

Love, being a complex feeling, is impossible to measure; in most cases, it’s difficult to determine exactly when people fall in love with each other. There’s no empirical evidence that shows the precise moment that love occurs, although several studies have been conducted to see when romantic partners express feelings of love. 

The average time it takes for someone to express love is four months into a relationship, but this is not a universal rule. Some people say ‘I love you’ one week after they’ve started dating, while others wait up to six months. 

How do you know when you love someone? Well, some people claim that they fell in love at first sight. Although this can’t be scientifically proven, there’s strong evidence to suggest that people can experience strong feelings of attraction upon first meeting someone.

Sometimes love is a one-way street, and you might feel like you’re giving a lot only to receive nothing in return. This is no cause for despair – you can push your partner in the right direction and make them fall in love with you. 

How to Know if You’re in Love and if It’s the Right Time to Say It

Falling in love depends on many factors; for example, gender plays a significant role in the process of falling in love and confessing it. 

Research shows that men fall in love faster than women, and it’s more likely that they will be the first ones to say it. On average, men confess love in three months, while women take a little longer at four and a half months. 

The process of falling in love can be sped up if you’re spending a lot of time with your partner. Despite knowing them for only a short time, if you’ve been together more than you’ve been apart, you’ll probably fall in love faster.  

Although signs you’re in love may appear early on in a relationship, you need to become deeply acquainted with your partner before you confess your feelings. Ultimately, falling and expressing love depends on the person and their unique character; some people fall in love faster than others and that’s okay – there are no rules when it comes to love. 

How Do You Know You Love Someone?

Romantic love is difficult to define, but some signs can help you determine whether or not you feel it.

You Think About Them Constantly

If you find your thoughts constantly wandering back to your significant other, this is a sure sign that you’re in love with them. You may find it hard to focus on everyday activities and responsibilities; even when you’re engaged in something else, that special person is always in the back of your mind. If your partner is going through something, you may worry about them and have a strong urge to help and make sacrifices for them. Besides thinking of them, you’ll be talking about them constantly and reminiscing about any time spent together.

You Feel Excited and Nervous

If you’re still unsure about how to know if you love someone, consider the way you’re feeling – if you’re excited and just a little nervous, then it’s love. Whenever you think about them you can feel the excitement rise up, and even though you’re looking forward to seeing them again, you might be nervous before your next meeting. 

You Want to Spend Time With Them

Spending time with your partner has become your favourite pastime – time seems to fly by whenever you are together, and you constantly want to spend more time with them. When you finally part ways, you might feel unsatisfied because the time you’ve spent together wasn’t enough. You are willing to participate even in the most mundane activities just to be around them. 

You Have Respect for Them

How do you know you’re in love? One of the biggest signs that indicate love is respect. In every relationship, respect is a crucial feature – mutual respect between two partners shows that they care deeply about each other and that their feelings are real and reciprocated. 

You Can Get Jealous

If you feel a sting of jealousy, that’s a sure sign that you care deeply about the person you’re interested in. If you get a little jealous over something small, that’s okay – it’s a normal and completely natural emotion to have. However, you have to keep your feelings under control, since jealousy can be very detrimental to your relationship. A thin line separates cute jealousy and obsessive behaviour; extreme jealousy is a sign of a toxic relationship, so if you start feeling this way, you should reconsider your relationship. 

Your Relationship Feels Effortless

The right relationship won’t cause you any headaches; if it’s not a fight to stay together, it’s probably legit love. If you’re pondering how do you know if you’re in love, one sign is that things are always going well – that in itself is a great indicator of love. You get along great with your partner, and any arguments are easily resolved, leading you to feel happier than ever before. 

You Want to Include Them in All Aspects of Your Life 

Whether it is your weekly grocery shopping or important family events, you want your partner to be there for everything. You want them to meet your friends and go to all your favourite places with you. With this positive attitude, you want to show them all aspects of your personality and enjoy your favourite things together. 

You Want to Grow and Thrive Together

If you don’t know how to tell if you’re in love, consider how you’re thinking about you and your partner’s growth, both individually and as a couple. If one of your goals is to grow together, become a better person for yourself and your partner, and thrive in all areas of life, then you’ve found the right person to be with. 

You Plan Your Future Together

One of the most obvious signs you’re falling in love is that you start making plans about the future with your loved one. When you think about your future plans and your partner is included in all of them, you can be sure that you’re in love.

Signs You’re Not Really in Love

On the flip side, some people stay in relationships long after love is gone; instead of going their separate ways, they’ll try to work out disagreements that arise from the lack of romance. You can’t always be sure if you’ve stopped loving someone due to bias, so we’ve listed some signs that indicate that you’re in a loveless relationship. 

• You’re annoyed with them – Being annoyed with someone indicates that you’re starting to experience negative feelings towards them; if it gets too bad, the love might completely disappear.
• You don’t enjoy being around them – If you’re wondering how to know when you’re in love after many years together, determine if you’re having a good time when you’re with your partner. When you stop laughing and having fun with them, it’s a sign that you might need to walk away. 
• You don’t mind not seeing or hearing from them – Communication is the key to all healthy and loving relationships. Once you stop seeing and hearing from your partner regularly and don’t seem to mind it, that’s a strong indicator that it’s time to move on. 
• You have wandering eyes – Once you start becoming interested or attracted to other people, that should be your cue to walk away from the relationship and seek love elsewhere.  

How to Tell Someone You Love Them

Once you’re certain you love someone, the only thing that’s left to do is tell them! At times, this can be the scariest part of loving someone. Before we list some of the ways you can express your love, there are some things you should keep in mind – make sure that you’ve chosen the right time and try not to make it too dramatic. 

If your only thought is ‘I think I am falling in love’, you probably want your partner to feel the same way. That being said, it’s important to remember that once you’ve expressed your feelings, you shouldn’t put pressure on your partner to express those same feelings back. Try to avoid saying it too early in the relationship, and when you do, make sure you are in private! 

At this point, we’ve shown what does falling in love feel like; now we’re going to list some ways you can express that love to your partner.

• Whisper it in their ear – This would be an especially good idea if you did this while your partner was falling asleep. 
• Write them a note – You could write a note that says ‘I love you‘ and include it in a romantic date; you could also leave it someplace you know they’ll find it. 
• Say it via text – It’s important to note that you should do this only if they’re close or next to you. Text them while you’re in the same area and observe their honest reaction.
• Write them a letter – If you’re constantly saying ‘I think I’m falling in love’, you could always go the old-fashioned way and write them a letter. It could be a very romantic way of expressing your feelings. 
• Just come out and say it – Even though this may feel uncomfortable, being honest and straightforward will show your partner how much you truly care about them. 

Still not sure of your feelings? Thinking ‘how do you know when you love someone?’ It’s okay; you don’t have to rush to say those three little words if you don’t want to. If you still want to show them you care, though, you can always give them a compliment that will convey your affection for them. 

Conclusion

Love is the greatest feeling in the world. If you’re unsure how to know you’re in love, don’t worry too much about it. Numerous tell-tell signs can assure you of your love for someone, and there are various ways in which you can express your love for them as well.