Five Ways To Express Undying Love

When you love someone, it can be normal to want to do whatever you can to show them how much you care. Different people often have different ideas about what it means to show love. It can be important to show your love in healthy ways that make you and your partner feel comfortable. Expressing love using the five love languages of quality time, giving and receiving gifts, words of affirmation, physical touch, and acts of service can be an excellent place to begin. You may also wish to speak with a licensed therapist for more personalized guidance.

Five healthy ways to better express love

There have been many studies about what the healthiest ways to express love might be, but one of the most quoted and followed may be The Five Love Languages, a book written by Gary Chapman. In this book, Chapman outlined what he determined to be the five most common ways of expressing love for each other.

There may be some critics of Chapman's work, but many people find the concepts to be helpful methods for expressing love for their partner. 

1. Quality time

Spending quality time with your partner can be one way to show them that you love them. Quality time generally refers to time spent together in conversation or doing things that you both enjoy. While some people think that quality time is any time you spend together, it can be important that the time you spend together is well spent. This can sometimes seem like classic friendship, but it can also be true love in action.

Quality time can be watching a movie that you both enjoy, going out to a nice dinner alone, or going to a sporting event or concert. The important thing is generally that you are together and enjoying yourselves and each other.

Try not to confuse quality with quantity. It can be important for a healthy relationship that you spend time apart, doing things as individuals. You should not feel guilty for doing things—alone or with friends—without your significant other. However, when you are spending intentional time together, your focus should be on each other.

2. Giving and receiving gifts

The giving of gifts can be one of the most common ways that people show affection during courtship. However, the practice of gift-giving often slows down after a couple has passed that stage. Giving meaningful gifts, large or small, can go a long way toward showing your partner that you love them, especially if the gifts are spontaneous and unexpected or particularly thoughtful. 

3. Words of affirmation

It may seem that the easiest, most effective way to express your undying love to someone is to simply tell them. For some, however, it may not be easy to express themselves verbally. In these cases, it may be helpful to practice or seek advice from someone you trust. 

For some people, words of affirmation are not sufficient on their own. While most everyone likes to hear that they are loved and appreciated, for some people, words can seem empty without actions. Pay attention to your partner to determine if they are happy with a simple verbal expression of love now and then or if they may need more than that to feel appreciated. 

4. Physical touch

The physical touch love language can be another way that people enjoy receiving affection from their partner. Many people believe sex is the primary way to show love through touch. However, for others, any type of physical touch can be welcome and show your love for them.

For some individuals, touch as a form of affection can be problematic or uncomfortable. Try to pay attention to your partner’s preferences and respect their boundaries.

5. Acts of service

Doing thoughtful things for your partner can be yet another way to show them that you love them. It doesn't have to be major displays of affection to get your point across; you can easily show your love for someone simply by doing little things for them on a regular basis. 

Some people might do household chores or prepare meals without being asked to show love to their partner. You might make them a cup of tea, wash their car, or bring them coffee in the morning, for example. There may be plenty of things you can do for your partner to make them feel appreciated. 

Getting professional help

If you and your partner are having a difficult time connecting or expressing your emotions, some open communication may help you forge a stronger relationship and move forward. 

However, some couples can’t do this effectively on their own, or they may have faced challenging experiences together that add complications to communicating. Sometimes, partners face individual difficulties with mental health issues or past traumatic experiences that affect their ability to show love and affection effectively to a partner. In these cases, speaking to a therapist, either alone, together, or both can be very helpful. 

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

While you may obtain a referral from your doctor or contact your insurance company for recommendations, some couples may not feel comfortable speaking to a therapist in person. Sometimes, scheduling conflicts or other issues make it difficult to see a therapist in person. 

Many of these barriers to treatment don’t apply to online therapy. Online therapy platforms can be discreet, and you may attend sessions through video, live chat, or phone calls.

Studies suggest that online therapy can help people in distressed relationships alleviate interpersonal issues as well as manage individual concerns. One study published in the Natural Library of Medicine found that online therapy could be a useful alternative to face-to-face therapy for strengthening relationships and decreasing relationship distress. The study specifically mentions that many couples decline to seek in-person counseling and that online therapy can be a way of bridging this treatment gap.

Read below for counselor reviews from those who have experienced similar issues. 

Counselor reviews

“Stephanie is a gem! She's very thoughtful, thorough, honest, insightful but most of all helpful. This is coming from a person that never wanted to do counseling and just ‘knew’ I didn't need it. She's been key in helping my wife and I find our better place. She made us grow as a couple and individually. Thanks Steph!”

“Mark has not only provided me support but insight and encouragement to let me know I’m on a good path to self improvement and discovery. Furthermore, Mark has provided me valuable insight on my romantic relationship, specifically with learning more about the relationship dynamics and how to build a stronger, healthier relationship.”