Devin Dornbrock Being in a relationship with someone is a pretty special thing. Usually, it involves getting to know someone on a very intimate and personal level. Opening up and sharing to that degree is no easy thing to do, so it’s important to let them know how grateful you are to have them in your life. Let’s talk about the best ways to show your significant other you appreciate them.
Consider Their Love Language
While most people will appreciate all forms of love, we all have at least one or two love languages we identify with more than the rest. They’re the ones that have the most impact on us when we give and receive love. But your love languages should take a back seat when you want to show appreciation to your partner. It’s quite literally not about you, after all.
If you don’t know your partner’s love language, you have a few options. You can, of course, just try to guess based on how well you know them and how you think they would react. You can research the psychology behind love languages to find which seems to fit best. Or you can simply ask them by having a conversation about both your love languages and theirs.
Now, you may be asking yourself why you go to all the trouble of researching love languages when you could just say a simple “thank you” to show your appreciation. “Thank you will still (hopefully) be appreciated, of course, but we’re talking about the best ways to show your significant other you appreciate them.
The best ways to show appreciation will involve things specially tailored for your partner and make them feel like you really know them. The gestures that mean the most to them specifically will be easier to figure out if you know what love language makes them feel most loved.
Appreciation Doesn’t Have to Be Grand
It really is the little things that count. Sometimes, the best ways to show your significant other that you appreciate them are small. You don’t have to wow them with a huge gesture whenever you want to show them you care. It can be small things, too; honestly, the small things can mean the most sometimes.
One of the most memorable moments in my relationship isn’t something my partner spent a lot of time or energy on. I came home to a package sitting on my front step. It had been a long day; nothing seemed to be going right, and I had bombed an interview for a job I’d really wanted. I was stressed, and my stomach was in knots. I opened the package without thinking much of it or even looking at the sender. Inside was a small stuffed sloth and a couple of other small trinkets.
Purchasing the contents of the package probably cost $20 at most. Add a bit for shipping, and the grand total of the package was probably somewhere around $25-$30 USD. It was not nothing, certainly, but not a huge splurge either. None of that mattered, though. What mattered was that my partner saw something that reminded them of me, knew I was stressed about job hunting, and decided to send me a little gift.
To this day I still have the stuffed sloth and it makes me smile whenever I see it. If only because it reminds me that my partner thinks about me even when I’m not around.
It’s the Thought That Counts
You and your partner may have different love languages and even different ideas about what counts as grand romantic gestures. That’s okay! At the end of the day, it truly is the thought that counts. The best ways to show your significant other you appreciate them is to do things that show them you are thinking about them and know them. If you can convey that, it doesn’t matter what you do to show them you appreciate them. I guarantee they will get the message and appreciate you right back.
It may sound simple enough. It can be surprisingly easy to forget to show your significant other that you appreciate them. The longer you’re with someone and the more you’re around them, the easier it can be to take them for granted. Their presence may even fade into the background of your life.
Taking the time to show the ones you love just how much they mean to you will strengthen your relationships. It can even make your time together feel more special! You will remind yourself (and each other) that you are committed to the relationship.
If you’re having trouble figuring out the best ways to show your significant other you appreciate them, our blog on the 5 love languages is a good place to start.
What has made you feel most appreciated in your life?
