Cards in pink and red, candy hearts, and boxes of chocolate line the shelves of stores, waiting to be purchased by lovebirds for their Valentine.
But if that doesn’t describe your current state this year — and you want that to change — we’ve got you covered.
In the interest of bolstering your love life, here are some science-backed ways to fall and stay in love:
For a first date, get coffee, not ice cream.
Shutterstock
Yale psychologist John Bargh has conducted a couple of studies that reveal an underlying connection between body temperature and personality.
He found that when we feel warm physically, we also tend to behave more warmly toward others. Therefore, if you want your first date to go smoothly, seek out warm places and foods — they might just help to heat things up later on.
Another first date tip: Be positive.
Getty Images
Contrary to popular belief, men aren’t just interested in how you look. That’s what a large 2010 study revealed after grouping over 2,100 male university students into three categories. The first group were given photos of women and asked to rate whether they found the women attractive, or not.
Two other groups were provided the photos along with information about the women’s personalities — one group had mostly positive personality traits and the other mostly negative. The researchers discovered that the group with mostly positive personality traits found a wider variety of women attractive overall than the other two groups. So, when you’re on that first date, just remember to be positive!
Listen up.
New Line
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually super critical for all parts of a relationship — at the beginning and when that honeymoon period ends and the inevitable conflicts arise.
A 2010 study of 373 couples from the University of Michigan found that those who were able to discuss issues calmly and listen to their partner when having an argument were less likely to separate later on than couples who didn’t do this.
Business Insider also chatted with psychotherapist M. Gary Neuman, who said that listening is key to falling in love because we have a need to be heard.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
