Have you ever wondered if you are in love or if you are just blindly falling in love with someone?
And love at first sight? Do these things really happen or are they just stories we tell ourselves to make things more bearable? What one person thinks is a sign of love may not be what another person thinks.
It’s true that everyone’s experiences of falling in love differ, but there is science-backed research that explains what it means to be in love.
This is a natural question because sometimes you can doubt your feelings. You may know that you really like the person, but you may not be sure if the strong feelings have turned into love.
Let’s look at the science-backed ways you can tell if you’re in love.
Empathy
Science has shown that when people are in love, they have strong feelings of empathy towards their partner.
This involves picking up on your partner’s emotions and feeling similar feelings. Some have even said that they feel a similar physical pain when their partner is in pain.
When you are in love, you care about your partner in the same way that you would care about yourself. The more in love you are, the more empathy and compassion you have. The reverse is also true, and you feel happier when they feel happier.
A study by a group of scientists led by Helen Fisher found that there are certain patterns in the brain when people are in love. They have what is known as mirror neurons that are seen primarily in people who are in long-term, committed relationships.
Your thoughts
If you can’t stop thinking about someone, then this is a great sign that you are in love.
Do you find yourself thinking about them? Are you unable to stop these thoughts? When you’re in love, you often can’t control these thoughts and may find yourself rereading text messages or thinking about the last conversation you had with them.
Research has shown that people in love spend more than 85% of their workday thinking about the person.
In addition to thinking about them, you will often get an exciting feeling. You will probably be thinking about things like when you will see them again or what the future holds for you together.
You Stare at Them
If you’ve ever noticed that you can’t stop looking at your partner, it may be because you’re in love. Naturally, you’ll want to create eye contact.
Research has shown that looking into each other’s eyes creates stronger feelings of love. Relationship expert Michelle Fraley believes that holding someone’s gaze for more than four seconds can indicate love.
As human beings, we are often drawn to look at the things we like so instantly that we will look at the people we fall in love with.
A Harvard study found that people who were in love and had been together for several years looked at each other 75% of the time.
Anxiety
This may sound strange, but it has been proven that being in love can make you feel stressed. This is because being in love releases cortisol in the brain, which is a hormone related to stress.
Some describe this as being passionate. Signs that you are experiencing this are that you may have less of an appetite and you may feel jumpy and nervous.
Dr. Laura Vowels believes that this feeling usually occurs when you are in the process of falling in love with someone.
Another reason for this type of anxiety is that it increases dopamine, which is another type of hormone.
These feelings are normal, but if they become excessive or constantly worrying, it might be time to address them.
Sometimes falling in love happens when we least expect it. But what makes this feeling so special is the fact that it can happen to even the most cautious of people.
You may be surprised at how strong your feelings can become. If you have fallen in love and the feeling is mutual, then go ahead, because there is nothing to fear.
Now you have some scientifically proven ways to identify if you’ve fallen in love.
“The greatest science in the world, in heaven and on earth, is love” – Mother Teresa
