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Do you know how to express heartfelt commitment to your partner in a way that they actually understand and appreciate? According to Dr. Gary Chapman, the Author of The 5 Love Languages, there are five ways to speak and comprehend emotional love.
These essential areas of communication for various couples include:
- Words of Affirmation
Your partner wants to be reassured on a fairly regular basis that you are actually in the relationship for the long-haul and that you actually care; they care most about the intentions and emotions behind those words. If you are not familiar with expressing your emotions with words and this happens to be your partner’s love language then now is a good time to learn this! People that appreciate this love language are pushed away with negative words.
- Quality Time
If this is your love language, you need to make it known to your partner to set the tone of the relationship. No matter what schedule you have, taking time out to be with your partner casually or during a holiday is the key to bonding. This doesn’t mean staying at home and watching TV; the focus is on the quality and not only the time in itself. A successful communication strategy with this language will be to always curate novel experiences for yourself and your partner.
- Receiving Gifts
This love language is less about the gift and more about the intentions and thoughtfulness behind the gift.
Giving your partner a gift to say sorry or cover up your failures will not be a successful relationship strategy. It’s also bad to gift your partner so that you look forward to something in return.
- Acts of Service
In this love language, actions indeed speak louder than words. People that appreciate acts of service feel loved by what their partner goes out of their way to do for them. The most powerful communication strategy here is to perform acts without being asked or in a spontaneous fashion.
- Physical Touch
Your partner may not actually be very tactile; the emphasis here is on physical presence and reassurance. A pat on the back, a hug and subtle embraces imply excitement, concern, care and love. When this physical communication stops or is used abusively, your partner will sense that all may not be well in your relationship.
The truth is that most couples may not speak the same love language from the inception of their relationship but learning and studying them over time will solidify any relationship with such communication problems.
Do you know your partner’s primary and secondary love languages? Better find out before you walk down the aisle!