We are social creatures by nature and are wired to connect and need love and affection. Children need to receive love and affection to develop healthy brain development. Loving and affectionate relationships help a child to feel safe and secure. A child without an affectionate caregiver tends to have lower self-esteem; be less happy; lonelier, and in general, in worse health.
This is not just important for a child’s health and well-being; adults need love and affection to maintain positive long-lasting relationships and boost confidence and self-esteem.
There’re many ways that you can show and receive love. Here, I will share with you the two ways that I know. I’m sure you can come up with other ways of doing that.
Ways to Show Love and Affection
- Spending Quality Time Together
- Quality time together is about expressing your love and affection with your undivided attention. You can do this by trying new things together and playing games together, and you can also schedule tech-free time together.
- Be an Active Listener
- When you are communicating, give the person your full attention, understand what they’re saying and respond thoughtfully. In doing this, you show that person they’re being heard, and make that person feel their words matter to you.
Ways to Accept Love and Affection
- Be Aware of How You Feel
- The first step to making progress with anything in life is to become aware of it. When you feel you are uncomfortable receiving love and affection, notice what discomfort or resistance comes up for you. Being aware will bring you closer to accepting.
- Accepting Love and Affection Without Obligation
- Love and affection are not an obligation to be fulfilled. You don’t have to feel obligated to feel or do certain things in any relationship. Remember that you’ve your own time and don’t have to take on the responsibility that isn’t yours to take.
Final Thoughts
Expressing and receiving love are both critical to our mental and emotional health and help us build strong and lasting relationships. So, start learning and practicing ways to show and receive love and affection.