Orji Chigozie HenryIt’s natural that you want to make your girlfriend happy. If you really love her, you will go out of your way to keep her smile plastered on her face. But you shouldn’t feel the need to go overboard and perform romantic gestures every day.
Pouring expensive gifts into your partner and surprising her with extravagant romantic dates will get old really fast if you’re not consistent with the little things. True happiness within a relationship is built with attention, emotional presence, thoughtfulness, and love.
Oftentimes it’s the little things you do day in and day out that matter. Doing something as simple as remembering what she said a few days ago or checking up on her when she’s had a long day shows that you care. Putting your phone away when she’s talking to you and actually giving her your undivided attention can mean more to her than any gift you could buy her.
These small gestures let her know that you care about her.
How To Make Your Girlfriend Happy
1. Listen To Her
Love can often be expressed through simple acts we take for granted every day. Listening is free and one of the most powerful ways to show you care.
Listening doesn’t mean hearing what she has to say. Listening means putting your phone down when she’s speaking to you, making eye contact, resisting the urge to speak over her, and responding appropriately.
Listening means asking her questions about what she’s told you and actually caring about what she has to say.
There will be plenty of times when all she’ll need from you is a listening ear. She doesn’t always need you to help her with solutions. By simply listening, you are validating her emotions and allowing her to feel heard.
When she feels heard by you, she’ll feel emotions she didn’t know you were paying attention long enough to notice.
A woman who feels emotionally understood by her partner is building emotional intimacy. When you build emotional intimacy with your girlfriend, you’re building happiness within your relationship.
2. Give Her Genuine Compliments
Everyone likes to feel that they matter, but hearing a genuine compliment can mean the world to someone. Make sure you’re complimenting her on more than just her looks. Tell her you admire how hard she works and how kind she is to others. Tell her you love how creative she is and how smart she is.
Make sure you compliment her when she handles a difficult situation with grace. Give her the props she deserves when she works hard for something she wanted.
She’ll always appreciate hearing you think she looks beautiful, but hearing that you respect her will mean even more. Just make sure your compliments aren’t fake.
Empty compliments lack emotion, and she’ll be able to tell if you’re not being genuine. Make your compliments specific so she knows how much you really are paying attention. When you make her feel seen, her happiness will radiate from within.
Related: 14 Clear Signs To Know He Is The Right One For You
3. Be Physically Affectionate With Her
Physical touch is incredibly important when it comes to building emotional security. Whether you’re in public or private, running her hand gently with yours when walking down the street or giving her a hug a few seconds longer than you normally would can make her feel at ease.
Pull her close when you’re watching a movie and lightly massage her back. When you’re physically affectionate with your girlfriend, you are building emotional trust.
Just make sure you respect her boundaries when it comes to physical affection. If she doesn’t like public displays of affection, don’t shove your face in her boobs at the park. Physical affection should make her feel warm and taken care of, not forced.
4. Surprise Her Every Once In A While
Life is full of beautiful routine. We schedule everything we do, and having a regular routine with your girlfriend will allow you two to learn how to build a consistent, happy relationship.
When you two schedule the same things every week, it can become boring and mundane. Surprising her every now and then will not only spark excitement but will immediately bring a smile to her face.
Send her a cute text in the middle of her day or bring her home her favorite snack when you know she’s having a busy day. If you plan a weekend night, surprise her and don’t tell her what you have planned.
Little things like this will keep your girlfriend excited about spending time with you. When she can look forward to spending time with you, happiness will follow.
5. Be Supportive
Having a supportive partner by your side can change your life.
Make sure you ask her about her goals and what she wants to accomplish in life. Help her when she feels like she can’t go on and celebrate with her when she accomplishes those goals.
If she’s having a rough day, tell her you believe in her and that she is more than capable of overcoming whatever she’s going through. When your girlfriend knows that you have her back no matter what, she will feel your undying support restore her confidence.
Love doesn’t mean holding your partner back from achieving their goals. Love means helping them become the best version of themselves. When you build each other up, you are both filling each other with happiness.
6. Communicate Openly
Communication is key in every area of life. If you don’t tell your girlfriend how you’re feeling, she will never know. Allow her to feel comfortable enough to share her feelings with you.
If something is bothering you, don’t leave her guessing. Instead of building up anger and resentment, tell her. When you and your girlfriend are able to build healthy communication, small problems will never become big problems.
Express how much you appreciate her every day, clear up confusion as soon as it appears, and if you mess up, apologize. By building healthy communication with your partner, you are allowing her to feel emotionally safe around you.
7. Give Her Space
Just because you’re in a relationship doesn’t mean you always have to be attached at the hip. Love your girlfriend enough to give her space.
Whether she wants to hang out with her friends, catch up on some hobbies, take a night to relax, or spend time with family, allow her. Your girlfriend will appreciate you allowing her to live her life while you two are dating.
If she feels like you’re attached to her every minute of the day, she will feel restricted and will seek that freedom elsewhere.
Nobody wants to feel like they can’t breathe when they’re in a relationship. Learn how to find balance by giving each other space, and your relationship will flourish. Giving your girlfriend space will allow her to feel loved and happy because she knows you trust her.
8. Make Her Laugh
There’s nothing better than having your girlfriend wrapped around your finger emotionally. Laughing is one of the strongest emotions when it comes to relationships.
Making your girlfriend laugh will allow you two to grow closer than you already have. Plus, who doesn’t love sharing a laugh with their loved one?
Next time you’re hanging out with your girlfriend, tell her a few jokes, watch your favorite sitcom, or come up with silly inside jokes only the two of you understand.
You know those moments when you and your girlfriend are sitting in comfortable silence? Those moments will be cherished when you’re old and gray.
You don’t have to be the life of the party to make your girlfriend laugh. All she needs is you to let loose and enjoy her company. Allowing your girlfriend to laugh with you will cause her to feel happiness every time you’re together.
9. Celebrate Special Occasions
Remembering your girlfriend’s birthday and anniversary will show her you care. Dates like birthdays and anniversaries are something you should’ve already known, but they’re more important than that.
These special dates are where you watch your relationship grow from. Taking her out on her birthday or taking some time to celebrate your anniversary allows her to reflect on how far you two have come.
You don’t have to go all out and take her somewhere extravagant. All she needs is for you to tell her you love spending your days with her or write her a sweet note telling her how much you appreciate her being in your life.
By celebrating these special occasions with your girlfriend, you are allowing her to feel loved and happy that you two are experiencing this life together
10. Do Things For Her
Love your girlfriend enough to do random acts of kindness for her.
Making her coffee when you know she’s had a long day, asking if she made it home safely, or helping her with something around the house are small gestures that mean a lot.
You don’t have to buy her diamonds every time you want to do something for her. She will appreciate the little things you do for her that don’t cost a penny.
When you notice things your girlfriend needs and do them for her without her asking, you’re showing her you care about her happiness.
Doing small things for your girlfriend will allow her to experience comfort every time you’re around. When she feels comfortable, she will be able to build happiness with you.
11. Stay Honest And Trustworthy
Trust is everything when it comes to being happy in a relationship. If you two can’t trust each other, then why are you even together? Make sure you always have your girlfriend’s back and stay truthful to her.
If you tell her you will do something, do it. She should feel comfortable enough to share her feelings with you without you judging her. By staying honest and telling her everything, you will allow her to feel safe around you.
Your girlfriend will appreciate the fact that you two can be transparent with each other and build a relationship void of secrets. When you two can build stable trust, you will experience happiness that no one can break.
12. Listen To What She Needs
We all have emotional, physical, and mental needs that should be met. Pay attention to how your girlfriend reacts when you do certain things for her.
Ask her how she’s feeling and what she needs from you. When something you do for her makes her smile or she hugs you a little tighter than normal, remember that.
Sometimes your girlfriend may need reassurance, but other times she may need space.
Allowing your girlfriend to express how she’s feeling will allow you to better understand how she receives love. Once you understand how to meet her needs, you will find happiness in knowing you two can understand each other.
13. Encourage Her To See Her Friends
Relationships should never come in the way of seeing your friends. Make sure you encourage your girlfriend to go see her friends whenever she feels like she needs to.
If your girlfriend wants to go hang out with her friends, you should encourage her. If she feels like you’re going to get jealous every time she talks about her friends, she will want to spend all of her time with you, and that’s not good.
When your girlfriend can see her friends, you are allowing her to feel emotionally secure with you. Building friendships is important when it comes to having a support system. Your girlfriend will feel happiest when she knows she can spend time with you and her friends.
14. Share Your Life With Her
Sharing your life with your significant other will allow you two to grow closer than you already have. If she loves watching sports, tell her about your favorite team. If you know she’s into music, tell her some of your favorite bands.
Sharing your life with your girlfriend will allow you two to experience new things you both enjoy. Next time you watch your favorite TV show, invite her to watch with you or throw a tennis ball at her every time your favorite team scores.
Building new experiences with your girlfriend will allow you two to grow stronger because you’ll always have those memories to remember.
15. Be Affectionate In Public (If She Likes Public Displays Of Affection)
There’s something about seeing your significant other happy you’re with them. Being affectionate in public shows your girlfriend you have no problem bragging about your relationship.
Hold her hand when you’re walking down the street or pull her close for a warm hug when you’re cuddling.
If she loves public displays of affection, your cute little gestures will melt her heart. Just make sure she’s comfortable with you touching her in public.
You shouldn’t force your girlfriend to be affectionate with you when others are around. If you two can be affectionate in public, you will allow her to feel loved and happy that you chose her.
16. Show Gratitude
Say thank you. Say it when she makes you dinner, when she helps you with something you couldn’t do on your own, or when she surprises you by doing your laundry.
If she goes out of her way to make sure you’re happy, show her you notice. When your girlfriend knows you’re capable of noticing what she does for you, she’ll feel worthy.
Expressing gratitude will not only make your girlfriend happy but will allow her to show gratitude when you do things for her.
Nobody likes to feel like the effort they put into something goes unnoticed. Show your girlfriend you care about her by thanking her for all the things she does for you.
17. Fight Fair
Let’s face it, fighting is going to happen. You and your girlfriend will disagree on something, but how you handle that disagreement will determine how your relationship will be.
You should never yell, blame each other, or feel insecure when you’re fighting. Next time you and your girlfriend start going back and forth, try slowing down and actually listening to what she has to say.
Fight with each other, not against each other. Allowing you and your girlfriend to fight fair will allow her to feel secure that you two will always find a solution to your problems.
Arguments will only make your girlfriend feel happy when you both come to agreements that benefit your relationship.
18. Spend Quality Time With Her
Make sure you and your girlfriend spend quality time with one another. Whether you two are staying in for the night and cooking dinner or catching a movie every once in a while. If you choose to spend time with your girlfriend, give her your undivided attention.
Put your phone down and listen to what she has to say. When you and your girlfriend spend quality time together, you are showing each other that you prioritize your relationship.
Your girlfriend will know that your relationship means the world to you when you decide to spend your time with her. Building a happy and healthy relationship will allow both of you to feel secure that you chose the right person.
19. Encourage Her To Practice Self Care
I cannot stress how important it is to let your girlfriend practice self-care. Whether she needs a girls’ night, wants to binge-watch her favorite show, or drink a glass of wine by herself, allow her.
When your girlfriend feels like she can relax every once in a while, she will let everything she’s stressed about go. If you notice she’s stressed out, tell her to take a deep breath and that everything will be okay.
You should want your girlfriend to feel her best not only when you’re around but when you’re not. When you allow your girlfriend to practice self-care, you will build a happier and healthier relationship.
20. Be Consistent
If you truly want to make your girlfriend happy, you have to be consistent. I know spending every waking moment with your girlfriend sounds like a dream, but your girl wants to know you’d be there for her even when you’re busy.
You don’t have to run to buy your girlfriend every gift you see at every holiday. All she wants you to do is show her you care every chance you get.
Whether you buy her a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day or cook her dinner every now and then, your girlfriend will feel happy you’re in her life. Showing consistency will allow your girlfriend to feel secure and know that you’ll be around tomorrow.
Conclusion
Making your girlfriend happy doesn’t have to be complicated. If you show up for her and love her every day, you will automatically make her happier than she was the day before.
Happiness within a relationship is built on the little things we do every day without even thinking about it. Saying “I love you” when she least expects it or cooking her breakfast in bed will let her know you care.
If you truly love your girlfriend, you’ll go out of your way to show her.
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