Kiran Athar
Love can present itself in so many different ways – it’s such a complex emotion.
But when you truly love and care about someone, you want the best for them, from encouraging personal growth to prioritizing their happiness.
So, if you find yourself doing the following 10 things for your partner, it’s a sign you’re deeply in love!
1) You give them your full attention
Picture this, you’ve just got in from a long, tiring day at work.
You want nothing more than to put your feet up, crack open a cold drink and stare at the screen for an hour – uninterrupted.
But just at that moment, your SO comes bounding into the room, full of excitement, bursting to tell you about their day.
You inwardly sigh, but you soon forget about your tiredness because you genuinely want to hear about how your partner’s day was.
You even:
- Make eye contact the entire time
- Ask thoughtful questions
- Let them speak uninterrupted
- Avoid checking your phone/tv
If this is you – there’s no doubt you’re deeply in love!
2) You support their goals and dreams
Another thing you’ll do for your partner if you love them deeply is support their goals and dreams.
When I was pursuing my teaching career, my partner would cook, clean, and do most of the domestic chores as I was exhausted and had coursework to complete in the evenings.
This was the ultimate display of love.
You see, when you go out of your way to accommodate your partner’s dreams, you’re showing them just how much they mean to you!
3) You’re patient with them
Isn’t it funny how something that would usually annoy you, doesn’t when it’s done by your partner?
For example, I have a friend who HATES people who eat slowly (weird, I know)…yet her husband eats like a snail and she’ll defend him against anyone who mentions it!
Here’s the thing, when you love someone deeply, your patience levels tend to increase.
Even when you go through bad times, you know that it’s just a phase and sunnier days will come, so you’re less likely to make rushed, bad decisions that could affect the relationship!
4) You prioritize their happiness
Do you find yourself doing little things, just because you know it’ll make your SO smile?
It could be something as simple as bringing them a cup of tea in the morning because you know they enjoy drinking it in bed.
Or, selecting their favorite brand of biscuit over yours, just to see their face light up when they open the kitchen cupboard.
The point is, if you find yourself prioritizing their happiness, it’s a clear indication that you love them deeply!
And it’s important to note – caring for their happiness doesn’t mean neglecting your own. It’s all about finding a balance!
5) You respect their boundaries
When you deeply love someone, it’s natural to want them to feel comfortable and secure.
And one way to achieve that is by respecting their boundaries.
I remember asking various exes in the past to respect my space, especially when working. Most of them ignored my requests (hence why they’re now long gone!).
But my current partner didn’t need to be told twice.
So, if you honor your partner’s limits without feeling offended every time they put a boundary in place, it’s a pretty good sign you’re deeply in love!
6) You make time for them
Life gets busy – between work, relationships, family, exercising, and trying to maintain a social life, it can be hard to distribute your time evenly.
But when it comes to your partner, if you consciously make time to spend with them, it shows how much you love them.
And I don’t mean just hanging out together while you eat dinner. I mean making sure you spend quality time together, as much as your schedules will allow!
The truth is, relationships do require work. And if you’re willing to put the time and effort in, it’ll reflect in the strength and bond you share with your partner!
7) You empathize with them
Another thing you’ll do if you’re deeply in love with your partner is empathize with them.
This means putting yourself in their shoes to understand how they feel.
And you’ll do this because you care deeply about them, but also because you know them so well.
For example, when my partner’s family makes a sarcastic remark, it might not seem like such a big deal to anyone else, but I know his traumas and triggers. I know how he’ll feel in that moment and I’ll make sure to check in with him after the event.
This is all a signal of love – getting to know your partner’s emotions and learning how to comfort them.
8) You accept them as they are
And part of knowing someone so well is accepting them as they are.
Otherwise known as unconditional love.
You don’t want anything from them. You don’t want them to change. You just love them for who they are – flaws and all!
If anything, you appreciate all their weird quirks and wonderful qualities. It makes up their personality, and after all, that’s what you fell in love with!
9) You encourage them to be the best they can
But even though you fully accept your SO, another sign you’re deeply in love is if you encourage them to be the best they can be in life.
And by that, I mean personal development.
For example, when my partner and I first got together, I was quite insecure. I could also be quite jealous.
But rather than make me feel bad for it, my partner and I worked together to help me increase my self-esteem and work through my past experiences.
The truth is, when you deeply love someone, you want the best for them, right?
So if you encourage your partner to work on themselves for their own sake, whilst also reassuring them of your love, you’re doing a great job!
10) You always stand by them
And finally, if you stand by your partner and defend them even when they’re not around, it’s yet another sign you’re deeply in love.
In fact, when someone insults them, you might even feel pain on their behalf.
This is because you’re a team and you know you’ve both got to support each other.
You want to show the world you’re a united front, and that if someone wants to get to your partner, they’ll have to go through you first!
If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
