11 Nonverbal Ways A Person Can Prove How Much They Love You, According To Psychology
A true, deep connection isn't always expressed with words.
Alexander Shunevich | Shutterstock Actions often speak louder than words, especially when it comes to showing up for other people. Saying "I love you" is a tried and true way to show affection, but it's equally as important to share expressions of love without speaking at all. When someone genuinely cares about you, they do more than just tell you how much they care — they show their love in action.
There are plenty of nonverbal ways a person can prove how much they love you. They share their love by being considerate of your needs and meeting you where you're at, instead of expecting you to be someone you're not. They accept you just as you are, which is a quiet and powerful way to love someone.
Here are 11 nonverbal ways a person can prove how much they love you, according to psychology
1. Making eye contact
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When someone feels safe with you, they'll meet your gaze and they won't look away. They make eye direct contact because they want to see the real you. They want to understand the version of yourself that you don't always share with others. By looking in your eyes for a long time, they observe all the universes you embody.
A series of studies in the Journal of Research in Personality revealed how important eye contact is for expressing romantic love. Subjects of one study who held "a mutual unbroken gaze" with a stranger for two minutes reported "increased feelings of passionate love for each other."
In a second study, people looked into their partner's eyes while their partner looked back, reporting a significant increase in "their feelings of passionate love, dispositional love, and liking for their partner."
Keeping the fire burning between you and your partner could be as simple as spending a couple of minutes staring deeply into each other's eyes.
2. Holding hands
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A nonverbal way a person can prove how much they love you is by holding your hand. Pressing your palms together is a gentle, tender gesture, something that unites two separate bodies into one connected being.
According to a study published in Scientific Reports, the act of holding hands is more than an expression of affection — it's also a natural painkiller. The study looked into hand-holding as a form of interpersonal synchronization, which is "the phenomenon in which individuals begin to physiologically mirror the people they're with."
As Pavel Goldstein, the lead author of the study, explained, touch has the power to ease people's pain while syncing up their heart rates and their breathing. "It appears that pain totally interrupts this interpersonal synchronization between couples," Goldstein said. "Touch brings it back."
"It could be that touch is a tool for communicating empathy, resulting in an analgesic, or pain-killing, effect," he continued. "The more empathic the partner and the stronger the analgesic effect, the higher the synchronization between the two when they are touching."
Holding hands is a quiet, simple way to reconnect, as it brings you closer to your partner on both a physical and a spiritual level.
3. Open body language
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A person can prove how much they love you by how they hold their body when they're around you. Closed-off body language sends a distinct message of discomfort. When a person doesn't want to be near you, their body will give them away. They'll cross their arms, hunch their shoulders, or shift their weight from one foot to the other.
If a person is open to your love, they'll show open body language. They'll lean in when you talk, showing how engaged they are. Their posture will be relaxed, since they feel safe when they're with you. They'll smile softly and find every excuse to look at you. Their adoration is tangible, something they reveal without even knowing it.
4. Walking at your pace
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Everyone moves through the world in their own way, which is why finding someone who fits seamlessly into your life is such a special feeling. One of the less obvious nonverbal ways a person can prove how much they love you is by keeping pace with you whenever you walk together.
You might love someone who's a fast walker when they're on their own, but when they're with you, they slow down. They show how much they care by matching your natural rhythm.
They don't ask you to hurry up; instead, they implement a small change that allows them to stay close to you. They don't pressure you to move at any other pace than the one you're already at, because they love you so much.
5. Listening without interrupting
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A person can prove how much they love you by letting you speak without interruption. They might nod their head or murmur in agreement, but they stay quiet, because they value what you're saying.
Listening is a nonverbal expression of love. It's a way for someone to hold space for your thoughts and feelings, without imposing their own opinion. According to psychologist Dr. Barbara Winter, "Couples who can communicate effectively know how to do one thing: listen."
For many couples, Dr. Winter added, "effective communication is not in and of itself often the issue. The issue is whether they are heard, validated, felt, and acknowledged."
Listening is a guaranteed way to enhance connection and "connection improves not only intimacy but also emotional regulation and resilience... Communication is a reflection of what's inside," Dr. Winter concluded.
When a person listens to you without interrupting, they reflect how much respect they have for you and how deep their love goes.
6. Giving you space
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Although it sounds counterintuitive, a nonverbal way a person can prove how much they love you by giving you space. They love spending time with you but they also understand how important it is for you to have time to yourself. They're not threatened by your independence; rather, it's something they want to encourage.
As psychologist Kristin Davin pointed out, "We are hardwired to need people... [but] being too emotionally needy creates an unhealthy dynamic in even the best relationships."
"Being a healthy person means standing on your own," she explained. "You should be able to tolerate being alone and manage your own stuff. You should have the ability to express your needs."
"We all long to be understood, supported, loved, and accepted, and it's OK to feel this way," Dr. Davin revealed, noting that a genuinely healthy relationship "should be best described as interdependent, with a reasonable balance of time spent together and time spent apart."
7. Waiting patiently
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Opposites attract, or so they say, which could explain why so many couples are made up of one person who's perpetually late and one person who arrives early. If you're the late one, your partner can prove how much they love you by waiting for you to get ready without saying a word.
They don't sigh dramatically or make a big show of checking the time. They don't get frustrated or don't push you to move any faster. They just sit patiently, because they know exactly who you are, and they love you for it.
They show their devotion by cultivating compassion and accepting your imperfections, because that's how real love works.
8. Letting you have the last bite
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Sharing food is a love language. In fact, according to research from Columbia University, sharing food is a form of social intimacy, and letting someone eat off your plate demonstrates a deeper connection than one you would have with an acquaintance or stranger.
A person who loves you will be more than happy to give you a taste of their meal, because they want you to know how delicious it is. When you go out to eat, they always suggest that you split dessert, and they put their love into action by letting you have the last bite.
It might seem insignificant, but letting you have the last bite is a majorly affectionate gesture. Do they want the last bite of ice cream left in the carton? Of course they do. But giving you the last bite is a simple display of selflessness. It's a way for your partner to say, "Hey, I love you, and here's how much."
9. Taking care of you when you're sick
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When you get sick, your partner proves how much they love you by taking care of you. They commit to meeting your needs, no matter what that means.
They go on late-night pharmacy runs and make sure you take your medicine. They make soup and toast and let you eat in bed, even though they know you're going to get crumbs in the sheets. They rub your back and throw your used tissue collection into the trash without complaint.
They prioritize your comfort, even when it's a hassle or keeps them from doing other activities. They help you without expecting anything in return, because they love you and they want you to feel better.
10. Remembering the little things
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Being mindful of the little things and committing simple acts of service every day is another of the nonverbal ways a person can prove how much they love you. They know that the little things make a big impact, which is why they remember the tiny details that are important to your quality of life.
They know just how much milk you like in your coffee and they always use your favorite mug. They take on dinner duty on days when work is stressful and they fix things around the house without waiting to be asked.
Relationship counselors Linda and Charlie Bloom revealed that "Couples in a relationship with an attitude of gratitude are prompted to continually seek out ways to make each other's lives easier, more pleasurable, more enriched, and more fun."
"They show up, are present, notice the tiniest things, and are generous of spirit. They know better than to take things for granted," they explained. "The gift of gratitude does not diminish our own happiness, it amplifies it... The more we give it away, the more we possess."
11. Hugs for no reason
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Touch is an essential part of romantic relationships, and research has shown that humans want to touch and be touched. Showing physical affection lets two people connect and show how safe they feel when they're together. Even so, it's easy for that affection to be forgotten in the chaos of daily life.
If your partner hugs you without being prompted, it proves how much they love you. They might wrap their arms around you while you're standing at the sink, washing dishes. They might stop as they walk past you and pull you close to them.
Their random, spontaneous hugs aren't actually random. Those hugs that happen for no apparent reason are proof that their love for you can't be contained.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.