A lot of things can change when you start falling in love with someone and one biggie? People in relationships start to become more like each other over time. From the way couples look to the way they communicate, science explains the ways people change when they’re in long-term relationships.
- They start to adopt the same mannerisms- Couples can start to look alike after a while and part of that could be because they pick up each other’s gestures and postures. According to one study, couples may start to look similar because they start to mirror each other and use the same mannerisms.
- They start to sound like each other- After spending a lot of time together, couples may eventually start to match the basic rhythms and patterns of their speech, right down to mimicking the length of pauses between words.
- They create their own language- This can include everything from inside jokes to nicknames, according to research from Ohio State University. And this “secret” form of communication can help deepen the bond between people as well as establish a unique, shared identity.