Falling in love is an incredible feeling. But it also has a tendency to make us act like big weirdos. We walk with a skip. We start randomly smiling. We ask people how they’re doing because we want so much to share how we’re doing! When we’re in love, we are unstoppable. In the mornings we aren’t tempted to stay wrapped up in a cozy blanket, we get out of bed and embrace the day! But as great as it feels, it also makes us a bit crazy. Let’s face it, we don’t act normal when we’re in love. We text our crush and panic if they don’t respond right away. We get butterflies. We tell them over and over again how much we love them. We dress differently, we change our hairstyle, we can’t concentrate on ordinary tasks because we’re too busy thinking about him/her! It even changes who we are and how we act.
There are a lot of studies on how falling in love affects our thoughts and behavior. There is actual research on the effects of falling in love. The feeling has a big impact on us, so it’s only natural that scientists would want to know how the process of being in love changes our brains. Here are 9 things that researchers have discovered.
1. YOU’RE NERVOUS, AND HAPPY, AND NERVOUS, AND HAPPY!
The feeling of anxiety is generally a negative thing… unless it involves the feeling of falling in love. You find it both exciting that you’ve found somebody, but also worried about whether it will last. You eagerly anticipate your next date, and then you wonder if he/she will call it off. Dang. The feeling of being anxious but also happy really messes up your mind, don’t you think?
2. IT’S A GENUINE ADDICTION
The feeling of falling in love is something most people crave, just as they would alcohol, cigarettes, or playing BlackJack at the casino. These are simply addictions that are difficult to kick. When you fall in love, it releases a bunch of feel-good chemicals, much like heroin. Seriously. But fortunately without any of the deadly effects.
3. YOU BECOME A RISKIER PERSON
Whether your crush is your neighbor or lives in a country on the other side of the world, the feeling of love makes us take unreasonable risks in order to win that person’s heart. You would do everything for love, and even that!
