Show them love in other ways When both partners have expressed their love for each other verbally, try to express love in other ways to deepen your connection. * Hold hands * Make future plans (e.g., dates, vacations, relationship milestones) * Introduce them to your friends and family * Do little favors for them * Surprise them with affection Allow for independence Now that you’ve said “I love you,” your instinct may be to want to always be around your partner, but this is a mistake. You fell in love while leading independent lives, and in order to stay in love, you must allow your partner some free time and take some for yourself. * Let them engage in their favorite hobbies without you * Let them have time with their friends and family * Continue to lead your life independently * Avoid constant phone calls and “checking in” Avoid saying “I love you” as a quick-fix Couples in love have fights all the time. When you and your partner are in an argument, avoid trying to solve it by just saying “I love you.” Instead, have open and honest communication. Example: ✗ “I love you but let’s just not talk about this right now.” ✓ “I need to talk about what’s bothering me because I love you and want you to better understand me.” ✗ “If you love me, you’ll let me win this one!” ✓ “I feel we need to sit down and have a talk about this issue so each of us can understand how to communicate our needs.” Be genuine Tell them outright that you love them, but only when you really feel it. Avoid saying “I love you” out of obligation as saying it all the time might cheapen its meaning.