Eight Ways to Show Your Loved One You Care
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The world can seem like a sad place full of heartbreak and misfortune. On the other hand, on some days it can appear to be a place full of possibilities and beauty. In order to live a balanced life, it is important that you’re able to both give and receive love. While receiving love can make you feel fulfilled, giving love can help the people around you feel the same. In a world full of busy schedules, it can be difficult to find the time to show love to the people closest to you. However, since it is often said that the world needs more love, here are eight practical ways that you could show more of it to the people around you.
Surprise Visits
In this present age of technology, physical contact can seem like something that is becoming extinct. People have become so accustomed to instant messaging, texting, and social media, that visiting friends and loved ones no longer seems to be a common occurrence. Visiting people, however, is a way to make them feel appreciated and loved. It takes extra effort and is a way of showing people that you’re thinking of them and have them in mind. If you want to make the people around you feel loved, why not plan a surprise visit? You could choose a day that you think they’ll be home and bring a small thoughtful gift along with you. If you have the sort of friend that doesn’t like surprise visits, then you could let them know ahead of time that you want to stop by.
Support
You never know what people are going through and how afraid they may be to talk about it. For this reason, reaching out to those around you is critical. Some people are battling heartbreaks, the loss of loved ones, financial hardships, addiction, as well as other challenges and are in desperate need of support. This is when friends and family come into play as they can offer the support needed to help them get through tough times. If, for instance, you have friends or family that you know are battling addictions, you could help them find rehab centers as a way of helping them recover. Additionally, you could offer support while they’re in rehab and also once they come out. No matter what it is that the people around you are going through, there are ways that you can support and make their burden lighter to carry. It could be by talking to them often, speaking positive words to them, or encouraging them not to give up. It also doesn’t hurt to ask them how you could support them so that you can give them exactly what they need. If it happens that you’re still stuck on ideas for showing support, you could send a care card, tell someone how important they are in your life, thank them for their help and contributions, give compliments, and also genuinely praise their strengths.
Birthday Wishes
A birthday is an event that only happens once a year, and it’s a chance to celebrate life. While some people make more of a big deal out of it than others, it is a chance for you to appreciate those closest to you and show them some love. Remembering so many birthdays can be challenging in the midst of busy work and life schedules. For this reason, it may be a good idea to pop important birthdays into your calendar on your phone and set reminders. If you happen to be Facebook friends with those close to you, then you’ll probably notice that they provide you with notifications when it’s a friend’s birthday, so that’s a way of remembering as well. You could send them a thoughtful message, send a gift to their house with a card, or take them out to celebrate if you have the time. If they’re celebrating and happen to invite you, honoring their invitation is also a way of showing love. You could even go the extra mile and plan a surprise birthday party for a friend or family member if you really want to go all out. A birthday is one of those occasions in a year where someone can be celebrated for their existence. When you remember that day and show love, it is likely something that those around you will appreciate.
Encouraging Texts
Life is an uphill battle for many people, and it can be easy to become discouraged. People are often looking for encouragement to keep them going as a result. If you’re good at cheering people on and sending warm words of encouragement, then why not make a habit out of it? You could choose a day of the week to send selected contacts a nice text message that could help lift their mood and spirit. There are several ways you could go about doing this which include sending messages through instant messaging apps or through SMS. You could even take it a step further and post your messages on social media if you would like to reach a wider audience of people. If you choose, you could compose the messages on your own or look for encouraging quotes online that you could send out. You never know just how much this could brighten up someone’s day, give them a little hope, and make them feel more loved.
Generosity
Simple acts of kindness can go a long way in making those around you feel loved. There are so many ways to be generous and carry out acts of kindness. You could choose to do so by giving material things or as mentioned above, spending quality time, or showing support and encouragement. If you choose to give material things, there is no end to what you could do. If, for instance, you notice one of your friends has a need such as a TV, and you have one that’s idle at home, you could give it to them. You could likewise offer financial support to those who need it or give away items that you’re not using to those around you who may need them. When you’re shopping, you could also think about picking up things for those around you that may meet pressing needs. It may be interesting to also note that outside of making the people around you feel loved, another benefit of generosity is that it can also make you feel good.
Quality Time
Spending one to one time with those around you is a simple way to make them feel loved. There are so many things you could choose to do in your quality time together but what’s most important is that you do it together. You may choose to go for a walk, indulge in some type of entertainment, or have a relaxing day in. If you’re stuck on what else you can do when spending quality time with someone, you could also try something you’ve both never done before to ensure your time together is more memorable. This could mean engaging in adventure, trying new food, or exploring new sports together. As long as you get to talk, laugh, be yourselves and show each other love, it should be time well spent.
Grocery Shopping
Sometimes all it takes to show a little love is a thoughtful gesture such as buying groceries. Next time you pop into the grocery store, you could consider buying groceries for a neighbor or elderly person in your community. You don’t have to go overboard and could just stick to a few healthy food items such as fruit, vegetables, and perhaps bottles of water. If you don’t want to buy food items, you could stick to household essentials like toilet roll, detergent soap, and other things people are likely to use on a daily basis. You may want to send someone groceries but find you do not have the time to buy them and drop them off as well. If this is the case, you could think about ordering them from a supermarket that does home deliveries and getting them delivered to the person’s house as an alternative. Buying groceries may also be a good idea for someone who just had a baby, has just come from the hospital, or is recovering from any kind of illness.
Volunteer
Another way to show love is by volunteering. Volunteering is different from the rest of the suggestions as if you opt to volunteer; it’s a chance to help people that you don’t know. There are so many places that you could choose to volunteer at such as homes for elderly people, in hospitals, at local charity’s and even at youth clubs. You should think about a social issue that interests you and how you can contribute your time and skills to help improve that issue. You could even consider a volunteer vacation if you want to be a little more adventurous.
Finding time for the people around you isn’t always easy, but it is vital. No matter how much of an introvert you are, we all need people for different purposes. Everyone needs a little love at some point in their life so showing it in whatever way that you can is a way to contribute to your community and make your world a better place.
Author’s bio: Maggie Hammond is a retired nurse and freelance writer, exploring and writing in the U.S. in retirement. An advocate for public health and nursing qualifications, she feels passionate about raising awareness of the current strain on public health organisations.
Email address: maggiehammond57@gmail.com
