Whether in a relationship or just starting things up with someone new, it’s important to remember that everybody receives and gives out affection in a variety of different ways. Valentine’s Day has become over-commercialized and very materialistic, however not all women (or men) really care for gifts. Instead of wasting time and stressing over the perfect gift to ‘treat your girl’, try to invest in figuring out what actually makes her happy.
Dr. Gary Chapman has discovered the 5 Languages of Love that uses a value system to identify how a person best receives love. The 5 languages are:
Now, though nothing should be disregarded (after all, a low score for one of the languages doesn’t mean the person doesn’t appreciate it at all), focus on what your significant other best responds to. If you see them get more joy out of quality time and words of affirmation, then make sure you offer him/her kind, encouraging words and that you spend more time with them. If they don’t respond that well to gifts, then don’t be brainwashed by the Valentine’s Day phenomena; maybe get him/her something small, but focus on what they really want.
That being said, if your Valentine highly values gifts, then this is your chance to go all out! It’s all about knowing your SO and being able to provide what they need. These are the best ways to improve a relationship and to get the most out of it.