So, just how long does it take to fall in love? You’ve recently started dating someone new. The relationship is still in its early stages, but you’re already planning your future together because you just know you’ve found the love of your life. Amid all the excitement, you may be wondering: How long does it take to fall in love? Can you, for example, fall in love in a month? A week? Is it truly possible to fall in love at first sight? Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, Ph.D., a tenured professor at California State University Fullerton and luvbites.co relationship coach, and Christie Kederian, Ph.D., a psychologist, relationship specialist, and dating coach, answer these and other issues.
Is It Possible to Fall in Love in a Month?
To address this, Kederian thinks it’s vital to first understand how you define love, as it’s different for everyone. Suwinyattichaiporn believes that if you define “love” as attraction, you can fall in love in a month. “Physical attraction can be an instant thing for a lot of individuals, and you can increase attraction to various characteristics of that person such as personality, spirituality, work, and passion within a month, depending on how much time you spend together,” she says. “It all adds up to ‘falling in love.'”
Regardless of how you define love, Kederian says that it is frequently impossible, especially for couples who are already in love, to pinpoint the exact time it occurred because it is more of a process. rather than a single instance. So, while someone may feel like they’ve fallen in love with someone in a month, they may be mixing up attraction, lust, or infatuation. She describes true love as more than simply a sensation – it’s a commitment.
Is It Possible to Fall in Love in a Week?
Again, it depends on your definition of love. “If love is being drawn to each other, then definitely,” Suwinyattichaiporn says. “Is it a stable concept of long-term love? Most likely not.” According to Kederian, some people may believe they have experienced love at first sight, but it is more likely that they have experienced a dopamine rush and mistaken it for love because it was intense and abrupt rather than gradual.
Can You Fall in Love over Long-Distance?
Suwinyattichaiporn and Kederian both think that it is possible to fall in love when dating long-distance since love is about emotional and spiritual closeness rather than only physical touch. As a result, even if you live thousands of miles apart, you can still form a close link.
Falling in Love Quickly vs. Slowly
So, is it terrible to fall in love quickly? No, not always. According to Suwinyattichaiporn, it is not about how long it takes to fall in love, but about being aware of the behaviors that accompany it. For example, falling in love rapidly might be regarded as a bad thing if it is followed by love bombing (where one spouse showers the other with affection as a kind of manipulation) or identity loss.
That According to Kederian, it is ideal to get to know someone continuously over time (at least a few months) through physical, emotional, spiritual, and cerebral connection. This gives you ample time to fall in love with the person and not just the idea of them, one feature of them, or the version of themselves that they presented at the start of the relationship.
Suwinyattichaiporn, on the other hand, believes there is no proper answer for how long it should take to fall in love because everyone is different.
Some people fall in love instantly, while others take their time. Both speeds have the potential to culminate in a long-term engagement.
Suwinyattichaiporn and Kederian both emphasize the importance of how quickly someone falls in love depending on the person’s attachment style, which refers to their interpersonal behavior pattern. “If someone has an anxious attachment style, they can tend to attach and emotionally engage in someone extremely soon,” according to Kederian. “If they have a more avoidant attachment style, it may take them longer to bond and fall in love.”
Aside from the obvious indicators of love (undeniable attraction, missing them when they’re not around, and enjoying spending time together, according to Suwinyattichaiporn), you’ll know you’re truly in love with someone when the relationship is about more than how you connect. Instead, Kederian claims that you know you truly love someone when you can make sacrifices for them, such as placing their needs ahead of your own. According to Suwinyattichaiporn, this might manifest as doing lovely things for your partner and being willing to compromise and find solutions when disagreements arise. That is genuine love.
