Has anyone ever told you about their main love language and had you wonder, “What even are the 7 love languages?” Find out and improve your relationships.
From gift-giving to finding time for loved ones in your busy lifestyle, we all her unique ways of expressing love. However, it can be hard to identify how your partner and family members like to receive love themselves. Through the love languages theory, you can better express your affection for others, and make your most important relationships stronger.
What Are the 7 Love Languages?
As their name suggests, the “love languages” refer to the different ways that we like to express and receive platonic as well as romantic love. First developed by Gary Chapman in the mid 1990s, the original love language theory suggested there to be five main ways of expressing affection – Acts of Service, Gifts Giving, Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, and Quality Time.
Primarily, Chapman’s love language theory is intended to help you build mindful habits within your relationships, and to help you be more aware of the needs of others.
Recently, however, the love languages have been proposed to be more complex than they were originally described. The “Seven Love Languages” are not the same as the five original love languages, plus two more. Rather, they are different concepts and intend to allow for a wider range of ways that we like to receive and give affection, with a focus on different areas of our everyday lives.
Proponents of the Seven Love Languages have criticized Chapman’s original theory for being overly focused on stereotypical behaviors of men and women that may not be present in every relationship. In response to this, the seven new love languages intend to help you put equal effort and support into your romantic relationships as your loved one.
Here is an overview of each language, and some examples of how you can incorporate them into your everyday lifestyle.
1. Activity
This love language refers to both spending time with a loved one, and taking an active interest in their hobbies and activities. If you align with the Activity love language, you probably feel appreciated and loved when your partner sets time aside to enjoy activities with you.
2. Appreciation
People who align with the Appreciation love language feel valued and cared for when they are given praise and compliments. You will probably enjoy hearing what your partner or family member explicitly likes about you, and giving them the same praise in return.
Examples of the Appreciation love language in practice include making sure to give your loved one a compliment every day, and encouraging them to be more complimentary of themselves.
Also interesting: Are You a People Pleaser? The Psychology Behind it
3. Emotional
The Emotional love language refers to connecting with your loved one during tough times when they need your emotional support and resilience. Aligning with this love language means that you are ready to be supportive of your partner’s emotions during difficult times, and expect them to do the same for you.
4. Financial
Similarly to the original ‘Gift Giving’ language, the Financial love language means being responsible and generous with your resources in the name of bringing you and your loved one joy. If you align with this language, you will probably enjoy helping your partner financially, and using your finances to treat and surprise them.
Examples of the Financial love language in action include giving your loved one a surprise gift or setting aside money to be spent on a date night. For ideas on fun and unique gifts to get your loved one, check out our guide to minimalist gifts.
5. Intellectual
This love language does not refer to literal intelligence levels, but feeling connected to your loved one via the mind and deep discussions. People who align with the Intellectual love language feel valued when their partner respects their opinions and enjoys discussing important issues with them.
6. Physical
Like the original ‘Physical Touch’ love language, the new Physical love language is all about expressing love and affection through consensual physical acts. If you align with this love language, you probably express your support for and connection with your loved one via physical interactions with them.
Examples of the Physical love language include watching a film together in bed, or simply hugging and kissing your significant other.
7. Practical
This love language is all about equal responsibilities and taking on everyday tasks together. As the name suggests, someone who aligns with the Practical love language feels valued and supported when their loved one offers to help them with chores and difficult tasks. This can be as small as helping them to clean the house, cooking together, or offering to wash the dishes.
Read more:
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- Taking Time for Yourself: How to Make the Most of Your Me Time
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