When is appropriate to say i love you

If you just want to let them know where your heart is at and don't mind whether or not your feelings are reciprocated, go for it. Honoring your feelings of vulnerability is risky and can be scary. It is, however, a way to build intimacy.

That said, Manly points out that those three little words can carry a lot of weight for some people, so it's worth considering how your confession might affect them and your relationship. If it's important for you to have the other person love you back, Manly recommends paying attention to body language cues as well as the other types of language they use to describe how they feel about you. If they are, it may be the right time to voice how you feel. Your relationship isn't over just because your partner doesn't say "I love you" back to you the first time you say it, says Brown-James.

It also doesn't mean the relationship has to end right then and there," she says. There's no way to make someone fall in love with you, and Brown-James recommends against trying to speed up the process because it can make the other person uncomfortable if they feel pressured.

That said, there are ways to grow your emotional connection with someone, which can help foster feelings of intimacy. However, it's important to pay attention if mutual love isn't expressed eventually. When to say "I love you" for the first time depends on the circumstances in the relationship, what you're hoping happens once you confess, and whether you earnestly feel in love. Want your passion for wellness to change the world?

Become A Functional Nutrition Coach! Enroll today to join our upcoming live office hours. Our FREE doctor-approved gut health guide. You are now subscribed Be on the lookout for a welcome email in your inbox! Main Navigation. Log in Profile. You also should not say "I love you" if you feel that you are under any sort of obligation. If it's not a feeling that comes from inside you, you should NOT say it. Saying "I love you" out of obligation is only going to get you into trouble down the road and will potentially hurt the person you likely do have feelings for, even if those feelings aren't exactly love.

Well, congratulations! Are you, or have you just finished, having sex? Likely best to wait. Sex is a vulnerable activity in itself, and throwing love in there for the first time is going to make it confusing and perhaps a tad like an emotional ambush. Are you feeling insecure and want to say it for some sort of validation? Again, probably best to wait. So I don't want to scare you and tell you that there's a wrong time to say "I love you," but yes, there's a wrong time to say "I love you.

If the other person isn't completely sure they feel the same way, sometimes they just need time to process and really understand their feelings.

That's always a good thing. On the other hand, if they're certain that they "can't get there with you" as Bachelor Nation would say, "acknowledge yourself for having the courage to say 'I love you' and for being someone who can not only feel this intense emotion, but also share it," Hendrix says.

That's hugely commendable. If you have found yourself in the middle of unrequited love, Dr. In the end, "the wound of unrequited love is often a self-healing wound," and you'll be just fine.

Remember that you deserve someone who wants you the way you want them and loves you the way you love them, and nothing less than that will do. And in moments of struggle? Grab that pint of vegan ice cream , watch your favorite rom-com , and move on.

Just don't forget to say I love you to the person who needs to hear it most: you. Weight Loss. United States.

Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Do you feel butterflies in your stomach every time you see this person? Do thoughts and images of them flood your mind during the day? These are pretty good signs that you may be head over heels for this guy or gal. This is an excellent sign of love; if they always make you smile when you think of them and if you are genuinely feeling content in the relationship like it's a drug, it may very well be love.

So, ask yourself, "How do I feel about this person each moment I spend with them? If they love your flaws and all, it may be true love. Are you to that point where you are no longer worried that the smallest thing might scare them off? If you are feeling safe, comfortable, and confident in the relationship, you are very possibly madly in love! Do they push you , in a good way, to meet your goals, and are they helpful and encouraging? Do you think about them all day, do you miss them when you're separated and does everything you see or hear about your day remind you of them?

Mind-crazy thinking like this is a definite sign that you may have found the right person for you. When times are bad, are they good to you, and do you still like them even when they are at their worst or when you are at your worst?

Are they the yin to your yang? If you sense that you are two of a kind and are made to be together, you may just be right, because the best marriages start as best friends. Speaking of best friends… Are they one of your best friends? Are you one of their best friends? If you believe that they feel the same way, you may have just found love!

A close friendship is everything! Can you handle the icky stuff? You know, the bathroom stuff?