Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Today is a day people can celebrate their love with others in an extra special way. But hold on! Before you go showering your partner with presents or writing them a song, you need to know their love language.
The five primary love languages are words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. To make your loved one feel special today, you need to show them affection according to their love language. Some codes are easier to crack than others, but don’t worry! The Life section is here to help you find inspiration to make this Valentine’s Day the best one yet.
Starting off with words of affirmation; there are plenty of non-cheesy and cheesy ways to accomplish this. The easiest way is to tell your partner about how nice they look. If you’re going to dinner later, this is especially important. People put a lot of effort into looking nice, not necessarily just for their partner, but also for themselves. Make sure to let your partner know that that effort is seen and acknowledged.
Another thing your partner might like is hearing how much you appreciate them. This could be as simple as a “thank you.” This may seem modest to you but for others, a “thank you” can turn someone’s whole day around. Saying these phrases can be especially impactful if you and your partner are celebrating today apart. Call them or send them a text and tell them something that will make them smile.
If you and your partner are fortunate enough to be together today, let them know how excited you are to get that opportunity. College students’ schedules are packed, and that can sometimes cause personal lives to take a backseat. Make sure you tell your partner how grateful you are for getting to spend time with them.
For acts of service, do not confuse them with grand gestures. More often than not, people whose love language is this would much rather their partner offer to do the dishes than organize a flash mob. Things as miniscule as taking out the trash or tidying up their room or apartment will make them feel special.
If you want to go the extra mile, you could also bring their favorite food while they’re at work or drive them to have lunch at their favorite restaurant. Better yet, you can make them their favorite food or desert. The extra love put into a homemade meal will definitely be appreciated by your partner.
If your partner’s love language is receiving gifts, you might have the easiest job. However, you need to put some thought into whatever you plan to buy for them. For example, if your partner wears gold jewelry every day, a silver necklace with a heart pendant will mean nothing to them. Your gifts reflect the thoughtfulness behind them.
Another example: Let’s say your partner’s favorite candy is Jolly Ranchers. Right now, a plethora of stores are stocked with all kinds of candy. If you show up with Skittles, that will send one of two messages to your partner, either that you don’t listen or you don’t care. Either way, neither one of you will have a good Valentine’s Day.
Merely receiving the gift will not fulfill your partner. You need to let them know that you pay attention to what they say or do. This insight is what makes receiving the gift worthwhile.
Returning to words of affirmation, spending quality time may be more difficult. Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year, both you and your partner might be busy with classes, work or extracurricular activities.
If you are both too busy to dedicate a proper amount of time together today, I suggest communicating with your partner and creating a plan for the weekend or another time when you are both available. Dedicate a whole day to spend together. You can fill the day with various activities like brunch, a walk or hike, the movies, cooking and so much more. Fill an itinerary with things you both enjoy doing together. Also be open to trying new things! I’m sure your partner would love to introduce you to some of their passions and vice versa.
This love language is also one of the more difficult ones to satisfy if you are in a long-distance relationship. My best advice to you is to dedicate a couple of hours to call your partner. Spending that extended amount of time hearing about their day and possibly planning what to do when you come back together will mean a lot.
Finally, we come to physical touch. Some people love it, others despise it. If you and your partner have polar opposite takes on this, fear not, there’s still hope!
Physical touch does not automatically imply embracing each other 24/7. Usually, those who enjoy physical touch see it as a sign that their partner is proud to be in a relationship with them. You can demonstrate this by simply holding their hand in public or letting them rest their head on your shoulder.
Love is a two-way street, so don’t neglect what your love language is. Have a conversation with your partner on what you can both do to make each other feel loved today. If you don’t know your love language, you can take this quiz to find out. Hopefully this advice helps you to have a wonderful Valentine’s Day this year!