Falling in love is one of the most intense feelings you can ever get out there. No wonder kings and queens have gone to greatest depths to look for it.

Love, especially if it is true love, is like nothing in this world.

Exciting as it may be to fall in love, it can be a mixture of bliss and fear as you try figure out if the other person feels the same way.

Science, logic or even your gut feeling can be able to guide you on whether what you are feeling is true love or not. To help you figure out whatever it is that you’re feeling deep down your soul, here are some of the signs that show you possibly could be in love with someone.

It feels mature

As a teen, you might have experienced relationships that you now realize were childish. If only you listened to your mother because she was right about childhood flings. You remember yourself feeling like you are in love based on criteria that you cannot be able to use now as an adult. As you look back, you realize that you did not know the difference between infatuation and love. As a mature adult, you know you are genuinely in love with someone when you have learnt from your past and when you have a new perspective on how mature relationships should feel like.

You can’t stop thinking about them

This sign is actually backed up by science. When you are in love, your brain releases some hormones like serotonin and dopamine that fluctuate. Due to this phenomenon, you will find that you just can’t seem to get them out of your head. This is a sign that you are in love.

You feel a rush

Genuine love also causes your body to release chemicals which give you the effect of feeling ‘high.’ This is evident when you get a rush of excitement when you see them or even when you receive a call from them. Since we are all different, the feeling is not always as intense for everyone. However, you should at least feel some excitement about them.

You are planning a future with them

True love causes a shift from ‘I’ to ‘we.’ If you find yourself picturing a life with them in future, you are probably in love. People who are in love tend to show that they want to have the other person in their lives. You might talk of getting a bigger house to accommodate both you and your kids, or even planning a vacation together. This is a great sign as it shows that you are ready to be committed to them for a long time.

Their happiness is your happiness

One major characteristic of true love is support. People who are truly in love are focused on giving more than taking. You start to take the other person’s happiness as your own without demanding anything in return. If you are in love, you become more compassionate, kind and empathetic towards the other person. It sometimes also requires you to try out activities that you don’t normally enjoy as a sign of genuine support. If you have become more open minded when it comes to them, you are in love.

You feel safe 

True love is also characterized by feelings of safety. I mean this in the sense that, you feel you can be yourself around this person. People who care about you should make you feel like you can trust them and rely on them. You should feel comfortable enough to talk to them about anything without feeling judged or criticized. The purpose of relationships is having someone you can be free with and someone that will be loyal to you. If this person makes you feel valued this way, it’s a huge sign that you are genuinely in love.

You have accepted their flaws

As human beings, we all have our flaws that we are often insecure about. When we find someone we love despite their imperfections, it means that we accept them wholeheartedly. If you still like them despite their physical and emotional flaws, you have definitely fallen in love with them!