How to Know If You’re Falling in Love

Love can be an incredible journey that leads you places you never imagined – yet can also be overwhelming and disorienting.

There are plenty of signs to indicate you’re falling in love. From scientific indicators to intimate moments that indicate deeper feelings, here are 24 ways you can tell if you truly smitten with someone.

1. You can’t stop thinking about them.

As romantic love can be both exciting and daunting, sometimes seeking professional assistance may be beneficial. If your thoughts keep wandering back to that one person that keeps drawing you in.

Limerence, or intense infatuation with another person, can be an all-too-common condition that causes strong feelings of longing for another. There are ways to overcome it.

Before considering approaching anyone, it’s important to understand why you keep thinking of someone so often. If there’s an underlying reason, such as their being unavailable or causing pain, this may help keep the thoughts under control.

An effective strategy to deal with someone toxic is to find something else to focus on; such as hobbies or sports that you enjoy.

You might also be trying to distance yourself from someone, so reminding yourself they aren’t the only person in your life can be helpful. Re-focusing your energies or spending more time with friends and family are great ways to do just this.

Once your mood improves, it may be easier for you to start relinquishing your fixation on that person. While this might initially prove challenging, eventually it will happen.

Therapists can help you develop new coping skills and strategies to manage the thoughts and emotions related to this person. Furthermore, they may help explore why these feelings exist within you so strongly.

2. You can’t stop smiling.

As soon as love takes hold, it can be easy to lose yourself in the moment. Thoughts of your prospective lover occupy every waking moment; daydreams about them fill your thoughts; you get that warm fuzzy feeling whenever they enter your mind; they become part of you in every sense imaginable!

But you also can’t stop smiling. Whether this be due to anticipation for your next date or simply feeling so happy about them, this is one of the biggest indicators that you are indeed in love.

Researchers have shown that when you smile, you are far more likely to experience happiness or a cheerful mood. Furthermore, smiling can help manage stress levels, boost immunity and even prolong life!

Smiling can also help people cope with difficult situations by giving their smile a way out; indeed, people often use laughter or smiling to alleviate grief or trauma.

Depression patients may find solace in smiling, as it helps lift their moods and increase dopamine and serotonin levels. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that people who smile more are less likely to become depressed while happier individuals tend to have lower blood pressure levels.

That is also why it’s essential to pay attention to how you smile; sometimes smiling can be used as a form of relaxation or because you’re nervous, which could be addressed by talking with someone about it.

If you’re having difficulty smiling appropriately in any circumstance, don’t give up! Practice will get easier over time. To stay safe, ask a friend to watch out for you and alert them if your smiles become inappropriately expressive.

3. You’re looking at them.

One telltale sign that you may be falling in love is when they occupy too much of your mind – be it reading their texts at work, anticipating dates far ahead, or dreaming up their future together. Psychologer and wellness coach Era Dutta emphasizes this is a positive indicator as it shows you’re more focused on them than other parts of your life.

Consultant psychologist Marc Hekster, PhD agrees that looking at someone is the easiest and most direct way to demonstrate your love. A Harvard research study showed couples deeply in love looked at each other 75% of the time while talking, compared with 30-60% on average.

Indicates you’re in love; it demonstrates they are not only on your mind but in your heart too. According to licensed LGBTQ+ marriage and family therapist Adrienne Michelle, other people around you may notice you spending more time together.

At its core, though, the best way to determine whether or not your relationship is healthy and long-lasting is to assess how it makes you feel. For example, if you prefer being treated special, are they making you feel special?

Consider what would make the biggest impactful impression. Key items could include acknowledging their worth to you, meeting their needs and viewing them as the center of your world – these could all serve to strengthen any lasting relationships.

4. You’re thinking about the future.

If you’re in love, chances are you spend much of your time thinking about your partner. Rehashing conversations in your head, visualizing all of the times when you will spend with them, and dreaming about how you two will spend their lives together are likely all activities which consume your thoughts.

According to psychologist Marc Hekster, who specializes in adolescent love and relationships, this is often one of the telltale signs of falling in love. Imagined yourselves spending your future together can bring immense happiness – often making this momentous event the first real step on your relationship journey together.

As part of the journey towards developing a meaningful relationship, dating is also a time to reflect upon potential future scenarios and consider making commitments. But if this turns into worrying about spending your entire life with someone, perhaps it is time to step back and assess whether that particular relationship warrants further pursuit.

Feelings of euphoria could also cause you to stay awake at night dreaming about an enjoyable Tinder date that went well, says Dr. Kat. These dreamlike crush-like symptoms could impair your ability to focus during the day and disrupt sleep, according to her findings.

But, if the feelings of euphoria become overwhelming and require assistance to overcome them, there are some things which may help. A therapist can work with you to develop healthy coping strategies when infatuation strikes that can make falling in love less daunting.

5. You’re changing for them.

Have you experienced falling in love? It can be an emotional rollercoaster. Although emotions do eventually settle down, they continue to shape you in unexpected ways.

As Cynthia Kubu, a neuropsychologist from Cleveland Clinic explains, falling in love can have an enormous effect on your brain. You might notice subtle shifts in behavior and perspective as more involvement with one partner takes place.

“People often report their sense of self developing during relationships,” according to Kubu. This means they begin seeing themselves differently, she tells Oprah Daily; for instance, someone who was once skeptical might suddenly begin considering themselves an outdoor enthusiast through being with someone who shares this interest.

While these changes may seem minor, they can have a major effect on your life and help make you more fulfilled overall. Perhaps you take your relationship more seriously and start planning for its future together, such as getting married or going on vacation together.

Prioritize spending time with your lover, dropping activities to focus on him/her instead. By changing for them in such positive ways, it will create lasting change!

As soon as you fall in love, parts of your brain responsible for detecting danger and making decisions tend to shut off – leaving you more risk-averse and less inclined to take chances than usual. While this is usually beneficial in protecting those you care about from harm, it can lead to mistakes like acting without thinking or disregarding warning signals that arise during this intense phase of affection.