10 Ways to Show Your Partner You Love Them Without Saying a Word
“I love you.”
It’s a simple phrase that conveys a powerful emotion. However, if there aren’t actions to back up those words they lose their meaning. I remember one of my college professors, who was a marriage counselor, telling us that actions in a relationship speak loudly. He gave the example of a client stating her husband didn’t love her anymore. When he asked how she knew that, she said he stopped bringing her a cup of coffee in the morning.
It wasn’t the words he did or didn’t say, it was the actions that she noticed.
For some reason that example has always stuck with me. He was clearly onto something too. According to the Divorce’s Guide to Marriage, an article in the Wall Street Journal last summer, “affective affirmation” was cited as something lacking in their relationship. Showing love and affection beyond the “I love yous” will make your partner feel appreciated.
I have been thinking about it more lately, because it seems like we don’t say the L word as often as we used to. We don’t love each other any less – in fact, I’d say we love each other more than ever, but we express it in different ways.
Here are 10 simple ways to express your love and adoration without saying a word.
- Hold hands
- Kiss
- Hug
- Touch them while talking
- Do chores or cooking together
- Help with an accessory (putting on a tie, necklace, etc.)
- Warming up the car on a cold winter day
- Sitting close enough to each other to touch
- Make breakfast or a snack
- Text a picture
Of course, saying I love you is still important as is providing other support. Doing a few of these each day adds up and reassures us that we are indeed loved. While sometimes I feel guilty about my husband cutting up an apple for my evening snack, I know he does it out of love.
What other ways do you show your spouse you love them?
Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.