You know the feeling β the warm, heart-skipping sensation that comes with romantic love. It happens when your brain releases certain feel-good chemicals, stemming from a powerful attraction. Q: Why do we experience that warm, fuzzy feeling when we are first attracted to someone romantically? Wesche: That warm, fuzzy feeling is called limerence. The term refers to the intense, involuntary attraction we feel during the first stages of a romantic relationship. Limerence has a biological basis.
When we are first attracted to someone, our brains release chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine, which make our hearts flutter and make us feel happy. Wesche: The feeling of limerence can last for weeks or decades, although most people start to feel its decline within a year or two of starting a romantic relationship. As we form a lasting romantic bond, dopamine and norepinephrine stop flowing.
As your relationship deepens, the brain reacts to your partner as it would to a loving companion β with feelings of calm, warmth, and security. But there are things we can do to maintain intimacy within our long-term romantic relationships. The field of relationship research overflows with strategies for relationship enhancement. They include several ideas:.
Wesche: Make conscious decisions about entering a relationship and make sure your decisions are consistent with your desires. Communicate with your partner every step of the way. Paula Byron. Category: research. Photo by Leslie King for Virginia Tech. For some, it may last for awhile.
But the feeling fades over time. Q: Why does that go away over time? Q: How can partners preserve that feeling? They include several ideas: Attend to your partner. Eliminate distractions and give them your undivided attention when you can.
