Amy Reed
Everyone shows love in different ways. When someone has a way of showing love that’s unlike yours, it can feel like they don’t love you at all.
But this might not be true.
Sure, there will always be people who aren’t that great for your life. And people who don’t like you that much. We’re not for everyone, after all.
But so many more people love and care about you than you probably realize.
If you’re not feeling the love from the people around you, check out these 12 signs you’re more loved than you think (even if it doesn’t always feel that way).
1) You have friends you can trust
Good people gravitate towards one another. If you have good friends around you, that probably means that you’re a good friend to them, too.
When you care about someone, you’re respectful to them. You care about their secrets and wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings.
So it makes sense that when you feel like you can trust your friends, it means they have a lot of love for you. Just like you have a lot of love for them.
2) People you know text when they haven’t heard from you in a while
If you’ve ever been feeling down about life, or just busy, and you get a text from a friend checking in on you, it’s a good feeling.
People only check in with people they care about. Likewise, they only notice when someone has been quiet if they care about them.
So if you get messages occasionally from friends or family members – just a quick “How’s it going” or “Haven’t heard from you much, is everything OK?” – you’re more loved than you think.
3) You get complimented often
Think about the last time you complimented a friend or family member. Why did you compliment them?
Chances are, it’s because you genuinely meant it. And because you love and care about that person.
Everyone loves getting compliments. And most people who hand out compliments do so genuinely.
So if your friends or family members compliment you often – whether it’s over your appearance, style, personality, or achievements – it’s a good thing.
It means they love and care about you – and they want you to know how amazing they think you are.
4) People you know support you to achieve your goals
Another sign you’re more loved than you think is if your friends or family support your life decisions.
They don’t have to attend all your games or give you money to support you. Sometimes, it’s just the way they respond to your new plans that shows they care.
Like if you’re trying to lose weight, someone who loves you wouldn’t sneer at the idea of it. They’d be happy for you and would do what they can to support you.
Or if you’ve decided to quit drinking, they wouldn’t peer pressure you or snub you for it. They’d say something encouraging – or wouldn’t say anything at all!
People who make negative remarks about your life goals are usually either jealous or feel insecure about themselves. So, it’s not really about you anyway.
5) You get given tough love sometimes
When I was in a bad relationship years ago, one of my friends gave me some tough love. After putting up with me for a little while, she told me how it was.
And I’ve never been more grateful to her for that.
Once we split, most of my other friends came out to say they didn’t like that person and thought many things were wrong. But they never told me this at the time.
Unfortunately, those friends didn’t really care about me.
It’s tough to hear the truth sometimes, especially from a good friend. But those people only give you tough love when they truly care about you.
So if you get given tough love sometimes, it probably means that your friends or family care about you way more than you think.
6) People you know look out for you
A good friend wouldn’t leave you at the bar if you’re in a bad way. Or stick you in a cab and get on with their night if you want to go home.
They’ll look out for you and make sure you get home safely.
If you’re sick, they’ll take care of you. If you’re sad, they’ll listen to your troubles or offer you a shoulder to cry on.
If someone is about to steal your purse, they’ll let you know or stop the person from doing it.
Whatever it is, people who love you look out for you. And they don’t want to see you sick, hurting, or have anything bad happen to you.
7) You experience small gestures of intimacy
When people love you, they may express small gestures of intimacy.
Like if you’re sitting with your boyfriend or girlfriend, they may occasionally touch your hand or stroke your arm lovingly.
Or if you meet with a friend, they may wrap you up in a big hug when they first see you – and give you a big squeeze when they say goodbye.
And provided it’s respectful and consensual, they do these things out of love and care for you.
8) People you know remember things about you
I remember most of the things my friends say to me or things they’re going through.
And I’ll be sure to check in with them later about it. Or ask them how it’s going when I next see them.
It’s a small gesture, but it goes a long way.
Because it feels good when people remember things you’ve said or done – and check in with you about it. And it’s a clear sign they care about you – more than you might think.
9) You get given good advice
People invest in people they care about. Few people would ever spend their time giving you advice if they didn’t actually care about you.
I remember when I was deciding whether to buy an apartment or not. I rang a friend about it and talked it through.
Not only did she listen to me on the phone, she also wrote me a little pros and cons list from her perspective and sent it to me later that night.
I was so appreciative. Because taking the time to give me that advice took time out of her own day. And that’s not something she would’ve done if she didn’t care at all about what I did.
10) People you know are protective of you
Another sign that people love you is if they get a bit protective over you sometimes.
Say you’re going on a night out and a friend asks you to text them when you’re home. They’re not just saying that for the sake of it. They’re saying it because they care about whether you make it home safe or not.
Similarly, if someone said something bad about you, they’d stick up for you or be annoyed about it when you tell them what happened.
Ultimately, they look out for you. And even if they never strictly tell you that they love you, these kinds of actions show that they do.
11) You get treated occasionally
You don’t have to spend money on someone to show that you love them. But it does go a long way in showing you care.
Usually, it’s all about gesture rather than the actual gift. Ever heard the saying, “It’s the thought that counts”?
When someone treats you to a coffee, a bar of chocolate, a bunch of flowers, or just a new air freshener, it’s because they care about you.
12) People you know give you their time
As mentioned earlier, time is valuable to most people. And people don’t tend to give their time away to those they don’t care about.
If people in your life are happy to go on a coffee date with you, help you move apartments, chat on the phone, or speak to you over text – best believe they care about you on some level.
They don’t have to give you all their time. But if you know you could call them in an emergency, or ask them a big favor, and they’d be happy to help – then they’re a good friend.
Final thoughts
Sometimes, you have to stop to smell the roses to see what’s really going on in your life. While it may feel like nobody cares about you, this probably isn’t true.
In fact, it’s likely that way more people love you than you realize. From your grandparents and family members to your friends and work colleagues.
If you’re feeling down about the people in your life, you may be surrounded by the wrong people. Or you may just not be paying attention to their subtle acts of love.
If it’s the former, you may need some new friends. But if it’s the latter, don’t worry. You’re more loved than you think – and it just takes a little mindfulness to realize that.
