Alright ladies, let’s talk about love for a minute.
We all know that guys, in general, struggle to express their feelings and can especially be shy about expressing their love for us.
But are we really doing a better job at expressing our love for them? Sure, we might do cutesy and mushy things that express how we feel, but is it really in a way your man receives love? Do the glittery hearts you doused his car in (yes, it’s been done) really mean much to him, or are they just an irritant?
We all have our own love languages, and guys’ love language is usually quite different than ours. We shouldn’t expect our men to always meet us where we are at – we need to be willing to speak their language sometimes too.
So, if you’re looking for some unique ways to show your man how much you love him, but in a way that he will really appreciate, here are some things to try.
Speak Words of Affirmation
As women, we usually speak our minds and our hearts pretty easily. We may find it easy to tell our boyfriends and spouses that we love them and how we feel about them (you know, the mushy stuff), but how often do you use words to specifically build them up?
For most men, they receive love through words of affirmation and respect. They have a deep need for that.
Here’s what we mean: tell your man how much you see and appreciate how hard he works (whether that be at his job, or around the home). Let him know you see his efforts and thank him for them.
If he is supporting you while you stay at home, even if that’s something you both agreed on and are happy to do, make sure you tell him how much you appreciate his hard work.
Or tell him things that he is good at. We’re not saying to make stuff up or be sycophantic, but honestly and sincerely observe something he is good at and why you appreciate it.
Use your words to, in specific ways, build up your man. These can be some of the most powerful words you can speak to him, just as powerful or more so than saying “I love you.”
Just be prepared – if you haven’t done this before or often, you may discover you unlock a key to his heart and the first time it catches him off guard, he may show a bit more emotion than usual (we’ve seen this personally).
Give Him Gifts HE Will Love
Many girls love giving little gifts. But many girls also give gifts that they think would be awesome, or that they think their man needs (not wants).
Instead, gift him with little surprises that a guy, not you, would love. There are tons of great creative gifts for boyfriends and husbands out there. If you’re not good of thinking them up, all it takes is a bit of web surfing to hit a gold-mine of ideas.
Think from his perspective, not yours, and even if you think something is silly or ridiculous, if you realize that he would like it, go for it.
Do Things with Him HE Likes to Do (with a Smile on Your Face)
Do you love the symphony, but he loves metal concerts? Do you love the opera, but he loves sports?
That is OKAY! Show him you love him by going with him to one of his favorite events or activities. And do it with a smile on your face and no complaint on your lips. If you go but make the experience miserable with complaining, you might as well have stayed home. But being willing to go with him, enjoying his company even if it is at an event or activity you don’t care for, will speak volumes to him about how much you love him and just want to be with him.
Give Him Some Space
Does he enjoy a hobby or activity that drives you up a wall (like video games, watching sports, or fishing)?
While it’s definitely understandable that you don’t want him doing these activities so much that they interfere with your relationship or shared responsibilities, one way you can show him you love him is by giving him the space to enjoy those activities.
Have you all had a long week and you know he would probably love to just chill with a video game? Invite him to do so. Your invitation to him to enjoy something he loves and giving him the space to do it will show him how much you love him.
Bottom Line
We can often think that expressing our feelings in words is enough to show love to our men, or that gifting them with things or activities we like are doing the trick. But love is give and take – make sure you are spending time showing him you love him with words and ways that he, as a guy, will receive too.
This doesn’t mean never expressing them in ways that are uniquely you – it just means that you make sure you meet him where he is at sometimes too.