When one partner in a relationship doesn’t feel loved, it can lead to resentment, sadness, and frustration. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to show your partner how much you care about them. It’s just a matter of remembering to do it! Here’s what to do to show your affection and appreciation for your guy and make him feel loved.
- Tell him how you feel. Shocking, yes. But one of the best ways to show your appreciation of someone is to tell them! You can do this by leaving them a cute note to find, messing them a late-night text, or even simply telling them to their face. Of course, actions carry more weight than words, so your partner won’t feel loved if you don’t act like you love him, no matter how many times you tell him so.
- Give him your time. Time is precious. The less time you have, the more he’ll appreciate it when you spend it with him. Even if you don’t do anything special in your time together, this is still a powerful way to show your affection. You only have limited time and you’re choosing to spend it with him. That’s a big deal!
- Give him gifts. Gift-giving is one of the love languages and a common way that people show their affection. When it comes to acquiring the gifts, you don’t have to spend a fortune. You don’t have to spend anything at all, in fact. It’s about the thought behind the gift. You could even make him something to show him how much you love him. It could be something crafty if you’re creative or his favorite meal if you’re good in the kitchen.
- Thank him. Thanking someone is one of the best ways to show your appreciation. Even if what he’s done is seemingly insignificant, thank him anyway. Thank him for listening to you complain after work. Thank him for coming with you to see your family over the holidays. Just thank him for being himself if you’re grateful to have him in your life.
- Praise him in front of people. Some people feel extra validation when words of affirmation come to them in front of an audience. It’s nice to have your partner say nice things about you. But it’s even nicer to have them gush about you in front of others. So don’t be afraid to praise him in front of others—particularly in front of people whose opinions he values.
- Show him physical affection. This is one of the best ways to make a guy (and people in general) feel loved. Physical touch is another one of the common love languages. You can show your affection through physical touch by hugging, kissing, and other physical expressions of intimacy. Even hand-holding is an effective way of showing how much you care.
- Go out of your way to make his life easier. Making his life easier sends a strong statement about how you feel about him. Especially if you have to put yourself out to make things easier for him, it sends the message that you love him and value him. That’s why acts of service is another love language. There are lots of ways to go about this, from babysitting his pets while he’s away to cleaning his car.
- Check in with him. Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget to check in. But simply asking him how he’s going can remind him that you do care about him. Especially if you’re busy, checking in on him reminds him that he’s on your mind, even if you have a lot of other things going on.
- Respond to him. You can make your partner feel loved by responding to him when he expresses his needs. If he tells you that he feels left out by you, take the issue seriously and examine what you can do to fix it. If he tells you that he loves it when you spend time with his friends, keep spending time with his friends. Really listen to him when he talks so he knows that you care about his needs and wants.
- Show interest in his life. Taking an interest in your partner’s interests is one of the best ways to show your affection. You don’t have to morph into the same person. But generally, if it’s important to him, then it’s important to you. You don’t have to understand the ins and outs of a hockey game if that’s his favorite sport. But you should go with him to see a few matches. Show interest in his life in the same way that you’d like him to show interest in yours.
