Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Culture > Entertainment

The 5 Love Languages & My Favorite Ways to Display Them

Updated Published
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

Love is more than just having a romantic relationship; it’s found between a number of people. Couples, families, friends, and even pets – all of these relationships foster love, and it’s displayed in many different ways based on each person. The five love languages are known by many, and most engage in all five even if they have a favorite. These are my favorite ways of displaying each love language for all my favorite people in my life! 

Acts of service

Acts of service are generally something I do subconsciously, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy them any less. Usually it comes from offering to do something for someone I love, like picking up groceries for my mom when I’m out so she doesn’t have to, or helping my grandmother with housework during my free time. I enjoy helping out my loved ones when I can, especially if it makes their life easier. 

Words of Affirmation

This is another one of the love languages that I don’t go out of my way to do, but it’s still something I do relatively often without overthinking it. I’ll wish my boyfriend and friends good luck on exams and interviews, or I’ll just check in on my family back home to make sure they’re doing well. I find that words of affirmation seem daunting when you think about them from a general perspective, but when you’re talking to someone you really love, they tend to come naturally through the subconscious. 

Physical Touch

Physical touch is something I reserve specifically for my boyfriend, it’s nice to have one thing I do just with him. Whether it’s holding hands while on a walk or just sitting next to each other when we’re with a group of friends, being physically close is something that I really think strengthens our relationship. I personally am not the biggest fan of PDA, so this is such a nice and subtle way to stay physically connected when we’re out and about. 

charlie and nick\'s hands touching in heartstopper season 2
Netflix
Gift Giving

Whenever I’m out and see something I know someone I love will like, then I’ll buy it without hesitation. I do this with small souvenirs, a piece of jewelry or custom work from a small business or Etsy shop, and even just someone’s favorite snack at the grocery store. These gifts don’t have to have a high monetary value, what really matters is the thought put into the gift. Sometimes I’ll buy my friends a coffee when I’m getting one for myself before a study session, or I’ll buy my loved ones gifts when I’m on vacation.

Quality Time

One of my absolute favorite things about quality time is that it can be done doing anything. My mom and I love to go to hockey games together, something that brought us closer many years ago. My best friends and I like to go on long drives together where we’ll scream music, talk about things that bother us, or we’ll just sit in silence for a while to enjoy the company. My boyfriend and I like to watch shows or sporting games together, and we also love to go on day trips to different places around the area to spend time together off-campus. 

Displaying love through the five love languages is such a fun way to show how much you care for someone, and they can all be done in ways that are unique to an individual.

Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets! 

Priya Shah

U Mass Amherst '26

Priya Shah is junior at UMass Amherst, majoring in Legal Studies and Psychology. She is excited to be writing for Her Campus this semester! She loves hockey, fashion, and music.