1. Your ex is nothing but a distant memory.
If you’ve been through a nasty breakup, you have probably learned that jumping from one relationship straight into another (i.e. “the rebound”) is one of the worst ideas ever. It takes a while to get over a split with a person who we’ve developed a case of the feels for. Take the time to figure out who you are without this person in your life before you jump into another relationship. When your ex stops being a dominating thought and becomes a distant memory, this is a sign you’re ready to move on.
2. You wonder what makes them tick.
You are fascinated by everything they say and could listen to them talk for hours. Maybe you’ve had a marathon phone chat that turned into a Q&A where you talked about your favorite bands, places you’d like to travel, what you hope to accomplish in life, and so on.
3. You don’t notice cute/hot people like you used to.
Even if you were having drinks in a VIP lounge with Justin Timberlake or Angelina Jolie, you’d find yourself thinking, “I wonder what _________ is doing?”
4. You go out of your way to see/talk to/surprise them.
You walk really slow as you leave class, because you know her class ends at the same time yours does, and if you time it just right, you might run into her. You chat with him past midnight even though you know you’re gonna feel like a zombie the next day if you don’t get to bed, stat. You surprise them with a thermos of hot chamomile tea (their favorite!) at work because they have a cold (aren’t you sweet?).
5. You can’t shut up about them.
You find everything about them captivating, so you can’t help talking about it to your friends (who now reply, “OMG, I know she plays drums in a rock band (which is really cool), but you’ve told us four times now.”
6. You daydream about the future (and they’re in it).
You have an ever-growing list of stuff you want to do with this person. So many things to do, places to visit, and sights to see! When you start to plan trips months in advance, you know this person has a starring role in your future.
7. You feel like you’re trapped on an emotional roller-coaster.
A study at the State University of New York at Stony Brook found that falling in love affects the brain like addiction. Just like an addict craves a fix from their drug of choice, those smitten by another person crave the object of their desire. Romantic love is one of the most powerful (and random) emotions you can experience. One minute, you feel joyful because this person makes you so happy you could leap; the next, you’re anxious because you wondered, “What if they don’t return the feeling?” The most intense of romantic feelings typically decline as a relationship matures and you grow accustomed to having a person in your life (this could be because the fear of losing a person fades over time). If any of these signs you’re in love sound familiar, you just might be smitten. The object of your affection isn’t gonna figure it out all by themselves, so if you’re feeling brave, tell them! If there are any signs you think should be a part of this list, tell us in the comments below.
