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21 Physical Signs of Love & Things to Watch If They’re in Love with You

Physical signs of love are the telltale ways to know if they love you but won’t say it! Check out these twenty things to watch out for if you need to know.

How to Read the Signs Your Guy Means It When He Says "I Love You"

Telling someone you love them isn’t the only way to express love. Physical signs of love are often more telling than words themselves!

Love is not just something in your mind and heart. It manifests in your behavior, your health, and even your appetite. [Read: What real love is and 15 special ways it sets itself apart]

What are the physical signs of love?

You may think that when you’re in love, you’ll just know. You might think that when someone is in love with you, they’ll tell you. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. So when they won’t tell you they love you, how can you tell?

Well, love shows itself in many forms. We see it in romantic gestures all the time; rose petals, champagne, and jewelry. They’re the most commonly thought of romantic gestures, but they are all material signs of love. Physical signs of love are not always what you would expect.

Sometimes a physical sign of love can be that “butterflies in your tummy” feeling, but they can also be unpleasant and unsettling.

Love is not just a word. It’s what has lent itself to the most well-known songs, books, and movies. It creates families, humanity, and more. When you feel love, it affects every part of you: mind, soul, and body. [Read: How to know when you’re in real love – 50 signs you just can’t ignore]

Physical signs of love

Unsure whether someone is in love with you? Are you actually in love? Well, you’re not alone. Love is a complicated and finicky feeling. It can be confused with attraction, infatuation, and other romantic feelings.

To know for sure, learn to spot the physical signs of love. These will show themselves at all times of the day and night. You will notice them within yourself and in others if you look hard enough.

Signs you’re falling in love

1. Staring

When you’re falling in love with someone, seeing them gives you a nice, warm feeling. Due to your body’s reaction to seeing this person, you tend to stare at them. Whether you’re cuddling together on the sofa or across the room from them at work, you’ll be drawn to looking at them when you’re in love. [Read: 20 subconscious signs of attraction that show up between two people]

It sounds weird and a little bit like a child with a crush, but it’s true. Love makes you do some strange things, and staring is one of them. Just try not to get caught! They might think you’re crazy instead of in love.

2. Closeness

When your body reacts to being in love, you will want to be as close as possible to the object of your affection. You’ll not only choose to sit next to them, but you’ll have a hard time keeping your hands off of each other!

Just sitting at dinner together when you’re in love will guide you to hold hands, put your hand on their thigh, and other small gestures. The touch of the person you love boosts those happy feelings you get when you’re in love, so it’s no wonder you’ll almost crave it. [Read: How to flirt and subtly seduce with touch]

3. Irrational thinking

You know when your friend is in love, and they do crazy things for that person even if it isn’t reciprocated? That is the irrational thinking jumping in. When you’re in love, the logic goes out the window. You just don’t have enough space in your brain to think normally because they take up so much of it.

Love blurs your rational thoughts. You might drive three hours just to see this person for an hour. You might run through an airport and pay for a ticket just to meet them at the gate to tell them how you feel. If you’re willing to do things you would have never done otherwise, love is the culprit. [Read: Why we fall in love – a little science and a little fate!]

4. Nerves

We all get nervous on first dates, but the nerves are different with love. You sweat more, and your heart rate rises. This is your body reacting to such strong feelings.

It might not be a physical sign of love that will last forever, but it often shows itself right at the start. You’ll feel giddy and special around the person you have feelings for.

5. Addiction

Not only are we addicted to the feeling of love, but we can also be addicted to the person. When you’re first in love, you thrive around that person. You hate to say goodbye and cannot wait to see them again.

The dopamine release that you experience around this person makes you crave being with them. Similar to an addiction to caffeine, chocolate, or even drugs, a physical sign of love is reacting to being around them and being away from them. When you’re away from the person you love, you might feel down, or you might feel like you’re going through minor withdrawals. [Read: What is dopamine? The pleasure pill inside of you]

6. Lack of focus

Love messes with your mind. Sometimes in a good way, like when you get lost in happy little daydreams. But love can also cause your mind to wander away from work or other important tasks. It’s a strong feeling that takes over a lot of your reasoning.

When youre supposed to be focused on school or work, your mind will wander off to more enjoyable thoughts about the person you love and your potential future together.

7. Insomnia

There are so many movies that talk about love in terms of “can’t eat and can’t sleep,” and that’s not just some Hollywood exaggeration. When you show physical signs of love, they manifest in all sorts of ways. They take you over and cause you to overanalyze and overthink. [Read: Signs to recognize true love when you feel it]

You play through your past interaction or imagine future interactions instead of drifting off to sleep. You lie in bed thinking of this person or relationship rather than shutting off your brain and actually sleeping. Love can even take over your sleep by driving your dreams. 

8. Jealousy

The green-eyed monster loves to show its ugly head when love is involved. If you’ve ever felt jealous, you know it is not just a thought or feeling. Your whole body builds up worry and rage. [Read: How to tell when a guy is jealous – 25 hints he just can’t hide]

Jealousy is an odd physical sign of love. It sours your mood and makes you anxious. It leads to you acting even more irrationally and lashing out.

9. Sexual desire

This one might be a given, but it’s also very important to note. You don’t necessarily have to stop yourself from fulfilling your sexual desires, but your body is essentially thirsty for this person.

When you’re in love, your body tells you to quench that thirst. This is a major physical sign of love. Not only do you want to be near this person, but your hormones are running amok. [Read: The signs you’re probably feeling lust instead of love]

10. Excitement

This is another one of the physical signs of love that you probably could have guessed, but it still deserves mention. When you’re in love, your body is in a constant state of excitement.

Your normal range of excitement is multiplied and is always there when you’re in love. It can make you talk faster, have a higher-pitched voice, and leave you feeling antsy.

11. Feeling sick

Sometimes, the way your nerves go crazy when you’re in love can literally make you feel sick! Lovesickness is a real feeling that’s caused by the stress hormone cortisol acting up and messing with your stomach. [Read: 20 lovesick signs & the fastest and best ways to get out of it]

12. Easily flustered

People can get flustered for all sorts of reasons.

If you find yourself flustered in front of your crush, you might be tripping over your own words or generally acting embarrassed. Look for signs of confusion or agitation. Being in love can make you nervous and unable to concentrate.

When you’re feeling so many overwhelming things at one time, it’s understandable that you might be easily flustered.

13. Change of appetite

This goes right along with lovesickness and feeling a little queasy at times.

The release of certain stressors in your body can do some weird things to your stomach and make you feel either less or more hungry. If you notice that your appetite changes when you’re around your crush or even just thinking about them, you’re definitely showing one of the physical signs of love! [Read: 23 secrets to playfully flirt with your crush & tease them into liking you]

Aside from releasing stress hormones, being in love also boost the amount of oxytocin released in your body. Oxytocin is known as the love hormone and has been shown to act as an appetite suppressant.

Signs someone is falling in love with you

1. Raising eyebrows

If you’ve never heard about the famous “eyebrow flash,” now’s the time to get acquainted.

Body language experts believe that this is one of the most reliable ways to tell if someone is attracted to you, but you have to watch for it super closely because it happens in less than a second!

When you make eye contact, watch to see if their eyebrows raise. If they do, it’s a definite signal that they want more of you!

2. Dilating pupils

Dilated pupils are a dead giveaway when it comes to looking for the physical signs of love. Studies have shown that a person’s pupils grow wider to show interest or arousal. So if your crush is looking at you with large pupils, you can take it to mean that the sympathetic part of their nervous system has been activated and that they’re into you. [Read: 16 flirty ways to ask a guy if he likes you like a super cool & confident girl]

3. Touching their own face or hair

Nervous habits are a thing for a reason. They exist to give you some sense of calm when you’re feeling a little overstimulated.

If they’re touching their face or twirling their hair pretty much nonstop, they’re definitely trying to make their nervous butterflies chill out. Your body naturally looks for ways to find comfort when you’re nervous. Since people are especially prone to feeling nervous around people they like, you’re automatically going to seek out the closest comfortable thing you’ve got!

4. Mirroring

Have you ever heard that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? [Read: Friendly vs. flirty – 34 subtle flirting signs to tell If someone is flirting with you]

In the case of physical signs of love, it couldn’t be more true.

This doesn’t mean that they’ll duplicate every little thing that you do, but they might mimic little things if they’re interested in you. They might subconsciously mirror your posture, hand gestures, or even eye movement.

Mirroring behavior is an obvious sign that they like you because people are designed to be attracted to those who are similar to them. That means they want you to be attracted to them!

5. Frequent blinking

Your eye movements can tell you a lot.

The average person blinks about twenty times a minute, but blinking more rapidly than that can be a sign of emotional excitement. If you really want to know about the physical signs of love, pay attention to how often they’re blinking.

6. Clammy hands

The sweat glands in a person’s palms are triggered by the sympathetic part of their nervous system, just like the dilated eyes.

When those glands are triggered by the excitement of seeing someone you like, they work a lot harder than normal. The extra work produces sweat, which leads to clammy feeling hands. [Read: Flop sweat – 33 stress-sweat triggers & actions to stop nervous sweating ASAP]

7. Change in voice

If you notice vocal changes in someone else, what you’re seeing is one of the physical signs of love!

If you like someone, your body naturally wants to please that person, which means that your voice might change to make yourself more appealing. They want to make that love connection, so their tone subconsciously changes to convey sweetness and affection to get your attention.

Why do you want to know the physical signs of love?

You might be wondering why you would even need to know what the physical signs of love are. Because love isn’t just a word, love is a whole-body experience! It’s not just something you feel in your heart and mind.

What if you’re interested in someone, but you’re too shy to ask them if they’re interested in you? Wouldn’t it be handy to have a few ways to gauge their interest just by looking at them? It’s nice to know that you don’t have to embarrass yourself just to find out.

Instead, you now know that you can watch out for certain behaviors, listen to their voice, and watch their eyes!

[Read: The science-backed proof you need to know you’re in love for sure]

Now that you know what to look for to spot the physical signs of love in someone, do something about it! If you recognize the signs of falling in love within yourself, observe your lover to see if they are showing signs as well. It’s a much less nerve-wracking way to tell if someone likes you than straight up asking them!

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Vinod Srinivas Serai
Vin Serai
Vin Serai is the founder of LovePanky.com, and has delved deep into the working of love and relationships for almost two decades. Having dipped his feet in almo...