Today in Mindset Mondays, Adam Smith, from A-Game Consultancy and Hospitality Wellness, turns to your home life – a happy, fulfilled relationship makes for a happier, more productive person he says.
The route to a happy and productive life starts at home. So, don’t overlook the impact that your relationship has on your state of mind.
Most of the time we love people how we wish to be loved, which can cause a lot of confusion and frustration as you feel “they just didn’t understand me”. It’s most likely you actually didn’t understand each other’s 'love languages'. Typically speaking we all like all five, however, there are usually two that we really value above the others. So these are the five ‘love languages’ that make for a happy relationship.
1 Words of affirmation
Some people value verbal acknowledgments of affection as a love language. These include frequent "I love yous", compliments, words of appreciation, verbal encouragement, and often frequent digital communication such as texting and social media engagement.
2 Quality time
People whose love language is quality time feel most adored when their partner actively wants to spend time with them and is always down to hang out. They particularly love when active listening, eye contact, and full presence are prioritised hallmarks in the relationship.
3 Acts of service
This is when you value your partner going out of their way to make your life easier. It's things like bringing you soup when you're sick, making your coffee for you in the morning, or picking up your dry cleaning for you when you've had a busy day at work. This love language is for people who believe that actions speak louder than words.
4 Gifts
This is a pretty straightforward love language. You feel loved when people give you visual symbols of love. It's not about the monetary value but the symbolic thought behind the item. People with this style recognise and value the gift-giving process: the careful reflection, the deliberate choosing of the object to represent the relationship, and the emotional benefits from receiving the present.
5 Physical touch
Some people feel loved when they receive physical signs of affection, including kissing, holding hands, cuddling on the couch, and sex. Physical intimacy and touch can be incredibly affirming and serve as a powerful emotional connector for people with this love language.