Y’all know I’m going to relate this back to music somehow, right? Press play on your favorite song and buckle in.

Showing someone you care about them can be a risky business. There’s really no way to know what someone thinks of you before you ask or interact, so I suggest starting with making sure whoever it is that you’re feeling, is at least POTENTIALLY interested in you. Even though this will be geared toward more relationshippy (just let it be) stuff, you can definitely apply this advice to most relationships. You can also completely disregard everything because what do I know? Anyways, let’s get started.

1. Hanging out

This might seem counterintuitive, but try not to be overbearing with asking to hang out a lot. People’s lives are BUSY, and constantly feeling like you have to hang out with someone just to make them happy is not going to be good for any relationship. It can definitely be hard to see the difference between going in too hard and not enough, and you also don’t want to just be at their disposal, but just try being mindful of yours AND their time. Just because you’re free, doesn’t mean they are... and even if they are free, they might need some personal time to themselves and just want to be alone. This doesn’t mean they don’t care about you, but they might need to figure something out for themselves or just enjoy their own free time. However, don’t let that make you feel like you need to be so mindful, just remember to give each other room to breathe. You don’t want to become co-dependent or feel annoying.

If that turns into you being the only one ever asking to hang and they’re never free, then maybe just stop asking them. You can’t give someone all of your time if they don’t want to reciprocate that. It’ll just end up creating a divide.

Example:

You text them to hang and say “Hey, are you free today or tomorrow to get some lunch/watch a movie? :)”. If they say they’re busy or just can’t, don’t make it a depressed tone. Instead, just be understanding and encouraging about whatever other work they have and maybe ask when they are free that week! If they aren’t free still, then you’re not a priority and you should consider looking elsewhere for that type of love. If it’s just your friend though, let them live.

2. Giving gifts

Thanks to Twitter, Tumblr, and social media in general, there are a lot of misconceptions about how to show someone you care for them. Many people think that stems from the ability to buy expensive gifts, extravagant trips, or anything of the sort. However, you should know that those things only go but so deep. Wouldn’t you rather show someone that they’re on your mind on a daily basis? Not in a creepy way, but that they mean so much that you can find little things in your day that remind you of them. If you’re at the store and see their favorite candy, consider buying it for them. Little gifts like that add up and soon they’ll have a whole room full of cute little stuff that is special because it comes from a place of real affection.

Examples: Candy, cute holiday decorations, flowers, a book, something you’ve heard them talk about

3. Music

Why do you listen to music? Scratch that, why does your person listen to music? Do you know? Find out. Caring about what people listen to and genuinely enjoying it as well is one of the best ways to connect with someone. Find out who they listen to and start seeing if you like what they’re grooving to... everyone loves feeling like they "put someone on" to a new artist. Also, songs are a cool way to say something to someone without having to actually say it. You could be listening to a love song and maybe it made you think of that someone. Send them the song and say “listen to the lyrics”. Thank me later, you’ll have them AND their heart shook. Just make sure you mean it and aren’t doing it to be cheesy.

Example: You've been playing Best Part by Daniel Caesar on REPEAT, and can’t stop thinking about your boo. Share the song with them and add “thinking of you” or “listen to the lyrics ;)”. It’s a cute way to show you care!

Now, you’re ready to be in a healthy, stable relationship. You’re welcome!

These tips are just a few ways you can visualize the horrendous thought of being in love. If you think about these tips, and then implement them in an honest way, you might find your relationship improving and becoming that much stronger. Just don’t be fake about it, aight?

NOW GO CARE ABOUT SOMEONE!