Most of us know when someone likes us and is flirting with us, we get flattered or start blushing, and that is if you think they are cute and you like them back too. This kind of lovey communication takes thought and effort, but what if I told you there are psychological, unconscious ways your body tells others that it likes them? Yep, and people have no idea or control over it most of the time. You know when a ball is coming straight towards you and you automatically shut your eyes and put your hands up without thinking? Kind of like that, but less obvious. If you can’t quite figure out if that person is feeling you or not, you can always look out for these 10 psychological signs someone likes you.
1) Their actions mirror yours.
Psychologically speaking, humans relate best with those who are like them. This is no surprise, as you and your friends probably share the same interests and taste, sometimes. This has become such an innate part of human interaction, that we unconsciously use this to our advantage when trying to impress someone. Someone who likes you will mirror your subtle actions without even knowing it. This is a subconscious way of showing empathy to try to connect with others. To test this assuming you both have a drink, sit in front of that person and sip on your drink. Within a minute, you should see them do the same. Or open your arms when you’re talking and see if they also follow suit. This is one of the common psychological signs someone likes you.
Check out: Top 10 physical signs a woman is interested in you
2) They enter your personal space.
Both humans and animals only rest in places where they feel safe. You aren’t going to take a nap on train tracks or lean on a stranger’s shoulder on the subway to rest your head. If this person has ten seats to choose from but always ends up in the one next to you, they associate you with a safe and peaceful place to be. We wouldn’t and shouldn’t date someone who makes us feel any other way, now would we?
3) Their feet point towards you and their arms are open.
We tend to point our feet towards our main point of focus. If someone is uncomfortable, you’ll notice their feet will point towards the nearest exit or away from the cause of their discomfort. In a pleasant scenario, if we like something and are both consciously and subconsciously attracted to it, we will point our feet towards it. As for arms, you’ll want to look out for arms that hang to the side, suggesting openness to those around them. A crossed arm suggests defensiveness and unwillingness to listen.
4) They walk next to you.
An egotistical person will walk in front of you and others because they are looking out primarily for themselves or wants to lead. Unless they’re rushing ahead because they have something urgent to do, like using the bathroom. Someone who likes you will naturally walk next to you. Not only that, but they may trail behind others and walk slower to either match your pace or get you to walk with them and away from a group, providing them with more intimacy and alone time.
Related: Top 10 signs he secretly likes you with body language
5) They lean towards you.
People lean in towards things because they are interesting and likes it. I mean, it makes sense, right? You like something so you get closer to focus on it. When we like someone, our brain focuses way more on all of the details of that person – especially what they’re saying and how they’re acting. That’s why you may notice that a person who likes you will lean towards you when you’re speaking to them.
6) They’ve raised their eyebrows.
The brain is basically a bucket full of chemicals, and one of these chemicals is called dopamine. Dopamine is a feel-good chemical that releases when we see something we like. This could be a thing or a person. A sudden release of dopamine causes a flash. This is an involuntary lifting of your eyebrows associated with pleasure. It only lasts a few seconds and may not be the easiest to spot, but if you are looking at this person before they realize it, focus on those brows when you finally make eye contact.
7) They lightly touch you.
Just to proceed with caution. We touch a mug to see if it’s hot, we touch clothes to feel the texture before buying, and we touch each other to see if the other person is comfortable around us or not. Of course, not the inappropriate behavior. If I pat someone on the back and they flinch, I probably will take a few steps back. The same goes with someone who likes you – those light touches on your arms or back are to test the waters to see how you respond. This is one of the strong psychological signs that someone likes you.
Check out: 10 Signs someone secretly likes you
8) They look great around you.
Back in the old days, taking care of your appearance used to be reserved for rich powerful people. Nowadays, it could be reserved for when you think you’ll see your crush. If you notice this person seems to look their best every time you plan to see them, they may be trying to impress you. This could be true if you know for a fact that this person dresses more casually around other friends or if you aren’t planning on seeing them. The beginning of most romantic relationships stems from physical attraction, and that’s what this person is trying to initiate with you.
9) They remove obstacles that may come between you both.
You might notice that this person moves physical objects that may stand between the two of you. If you’re sitting on a couch, they may move the decorative pillows out of the way. If you’re both sitting around a table, they may put their backpack or purse on the side and not in between you both. This is done to show that they want to be as close to you as possible – and as close as you let them – because they like you.
10) Their pupils dilate when looking at you.
Our autonomic nervous system triggers pupil dilation when we suddenly feel aroused or just in the dark. When you’re in a one-on-one conversation with this person and have an adequate view of their eyes, check out their pupils. Are they bigger than usual? If you’re not in a dark room or anything, they would dilate if the person likes you and is excited to see you. At this point, it’s all the oxytocin and dopamine that’s doing the trick.
Check out: 10 Signs you are emotionally connected to someone
Conclusion:
Overall, these signs could be tricky because if you zoom out for a bit, you might think to yourself. Hmmm, my coworker hits most of these signs and that might be true, because they can be excited to see you because they are here to cover your shift, or that you’re in a loud area and they have to lean closer to talk to you, therefore invading your personal space. But the good thing is that, if you notice them doing most of these signs to almost everyone they see, then it’s just them being them. But if they are specifically showing these signs to you, then you should get a good sense that they like you. So there you have it, 10 psychological signs someone likes you.