With Valentine’s Day coming up, the official “season of love” is almost here. I think it’s crucial to remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t all about the elaborate and public displays of romance or heart shaped chocolate boxes. This season of love is about showing how much we love and appreciate the relationships in our life. Before we start writing out our Valentine cards and booking dinner reservations for someone, it’s essential to figure out what love languages they resonate with the most.
Within every relationship, whether it’s romantic or platonic, it’s important to understand the way you both like to receive and show love to each other. When it comes to love languages there are the main five: words of affirmation, acts of service, gift giving, physical touch, and quality time. I’ve always found that there is a difference in the way people like to be shown love and how they project their love toward others. While someone may enjoy giving gifts to others, they may also feel the most love in their relationship by spending quality time with the other person. Exploring each other’s love languages is worthwhile when it comes to developing a greater understanding and appreciation for each other.
The five main love languages do a pretty great job at grouping together the ways in which many people express love to each other. Personally, I like to go beyond these categories and get a little more specific with love language types. I think of these as nontraditional love languages. Here are a few of my favorite ones as well as examples of others you might not have thought were love languages before.
Playlist Making
A love language I personally resonate with is making music playlists for the people I love! Whether someone needs a playlist for working out, for a walk in the park, or the best breakup anthems, I am always thrilled to spend my time making a heartfelt playlist for my friends and family.
Baking Treats
While baking treats for someone coincides a lot with gift giving, the great effort behind this act can be very meaningful to both individuals in the relationship. For those who know someone with a big sweet tooth, baking treats can be an incredibly special way to show your love to others and a chance to indulge in your own sugar cravings!
The list of nontraditional love languages goes on. A few others I’d also like to mention include giving book recommendations, midday naps together, back massages, or writing intimate poems. Whatever your love language may be, remember to share yours and learn the love languages of others close to you to strengthen your overall relationship with them!