6 Of The Most Common Signs Of Strong Physical Attraction

Attraction can be an important part of many relationships, but it can be difficult to quantify, predict, and interpret. For instance, flirting can sometimes be a sign of interest, but it can just as easily be an indication of an extroverted or friendly personality. Also, physical attraction can often be easily mistaken for familiarity, comfort, or general kindness. 

Strong physical symptoms of attraction can be a bit more difficult to ignore, however, and they can provide a greater sense of ease when looking to pursue someone. Below are six of the most common signs of strong physical attraction.

6 Signs Of Physical Attraction

Although physical attraction may not be the only form of attraction familiar to romantic couplings, it is often the first step in creating a romantic bond. Some couples go from friendship to a romantic endeavor, but even in these situations, at least one partner typically finds the other physically appealing.

Undoubtedly, physical attraction can play a large role in a couple’s interest in, intimacy within, and the longevity of a relationship. While different types of attraction may develop over time, physical attraction is usually notable for its immediacy and the somewhat-concrete expressions found between two people who are attracted to one another. Although some nuance can be involved, there are six physical symptoms of attraction that are often nearly impossible to miss.

1.) Intense Eye Contact

Intense eye contact can be one of the clearest indicators of physical attraction. If your partner or date consistently offers extended periods of eye contact, they might be signaling their interest in you. Eye contact suggests that you have all the focus and attention of someone, which leaves little room for doubt about someone’s intentions or wishes.

Eye contact has a biological function, too; prolonged eye contact releases a flood of hormones, including oxytocin. Oxytocin is a pleasure-inducing hormone as well as a bonding one. When you and your date engage in a period of prolonged eye contact, you both might experience a flood of feel-good hormones that could promote connection and intimacy, two things that are often embedded within intense physical attraction.

2.) Physical Closeness

Physical closeness is often a clear indication of strong physical attraction, too. Even without touching, people who are attracted to each other often find themselves in close proximity. Being physically near someone may serve many functions, among them the ability to gauge and evaluate biological compatibility. Being close to someone can also encourage the production of feel-good hormones.

Physical closeness can also precede physical contact by helping people gauge compatibility. If you feel a rush of excitement, anticipation, and some amount of comfort being near someone, the chance is high that you’ll feel similarly when contact occurs.

3.) Physical Contact

When people make a conscious effort to be in actual physical contact with one another, physical attraction is likely present and strong. These touches are not necessarily overtly sexual in nature; a touch on the arm or back, sitting with shoulders or knees touching, or even standing with a foot touching can all indicate the clear desire to be closer to someone. Physical contact can create intimacy and, to some degree, emotional closeness, which are often intertwined with sexual compatibility and interest.

Although actual sexual contact (kissing, etc.) can usually be an obvious indication that people are attracted to one another, it is sometimes the smaller physical actions and body language that carry weight. Sexual tension is often experienced, built, and revealed through small touches.

Physical touch between two people who are attracted to each other can create a cocktail of hormones and physical sensations, including elevated heart rate and feelings of intimacy.

4.) Magnetic Movements

A magnetic movement is one that might suggest the two of you are, quite literally, drawn to each other, which is one of the most common signs of physical attraction. Leaning closer to one another, pointing your feet toward each other, and angling your hips toward another person are three of the most easily recognized instances of magnetic movements, but these are not the only types of physical movement that might indicate attraction.

The two of you might also experience an intense awareness of each other that allows you to maneuver to and around one another more easily. Because two people who are intensely physically attracted to one another may be able to essentially “sense” one another or seem to move in tandem in something not unlike a dance. 

They may unconsciously step out of the other’s way, and might not seem to bumble, stumble, or otherwise falter physically when in one another’s presence. 

5.) A Deeper Voice

When you are attracted to someone, your voice can change. Just about everyone, no matter their gender, can experience a noticeable decline in the pitch of their voice when they are attracted to someone. There may be a few reasons for this, but hormonal changes have been strongly linked to voice changes.

It could also be that people have been conditioned to associate a lowered voice with imagery and feelings associated with sexuality. A low, breathy voice may be more likely to be used during a physical encounter with someone and may be used to indicate the promise or possibility of physical intimacy. If someone's voice seems markedly lower or huskier than usual, it may signal that they are attracted to you.

6) Smiles Abound

Smiling and laughing can be clear indicators of physical attraction. Although laughing is, to some degree, also a mental exercise, a smile accompanied by a laugh can be physically seen and experienced. People may smile and laugh with people they are attracted to, even in the absence of objectively entertaining communication or behavior. This might signal to a potential partner that they are open, interested, and available. A stony face or prolonged silence could both suggest that attraction is not present.

Attraction, Chemistry, And Intimacy

It may be beneficial to remember that strong physical attraction is not necessarily the same thing as intimacy, nor is it the same thing as sexual chemistry. Physical attraction is usually an instantaneous sensation, while sexual chemistry often builds over time and takes far more into account than simple physical desire. Intimacy, too, can build as time goes on, and there may be far more factors that come into play before intimacy is developed or firmly established.

Physical attraction is usually the predisposition toward chemistry and intimacy, but it is neither a prerequisite for nor a sure guarantee of either. You can have extreme physical attraction toward someone but find that their personality doesn’t quite mesh with yours. In other cases, you might discover that the sexual tension has completely fizzled out when someone makes a sexual overture. Physical attraction may be important and often plays a huge part in couples initially getting together, but it is usually only one small piece in a much larger puzzle regarding couples who get together and stay together over long periods of time.

Likewise, just as everyone has a unique personality and fingerprint, there might always be unique ways people show physical attraction. Some may grow pale, others might grow pink-cheeked, and still others may burn as red as a siren’s flash. Some people will widen their eyes to take you in while others might immediately turn their eyes to the floor and struggle to look at you unless they are being directly addressed.

A Professional Can Help Your Relationships Thrive

Some amount of physical attraction may involve the ability to read and understand other people and the nonverbal cues they offer. 

If you find that you have a hard time learning to understand, accept, or interpret these types of clues, and signs of attraction, you may benefit from the intervention of a mental health professional from the convenience of your computer screen. Online therapy can make accessing mental health resources easier for people who have previously found access to therapy challenging or difficult. 

Therapists can primarily help people by offering couples counseling and therapy for interpersonal relationships. They may be able to help you learn the skills required to accurately analyze the feelings and meanings behind the nonverbal cues of others. In fact, studies have suggested couples may feel more comfortable sharing their feelings with their therapist if they use online therapy rather than in-person therapy.

Takeaway

Ultimately, attraction can be an extremely personal thing and often relies heavily upon personality, background, confidence, and comfort. No two people express or experience attraction in the same way. Biological constructs and typical expressions are often good starting points to begin deciphering whether someone is physically attracted to you or vice versa. Still, the best way to determine whether two people are attracted to one another may be to communicate openly, honestly, and effectively.