Being in love is an amazing feeling. Love is truly incomparable to anything else. Hearing those three words, “I love you,” come from your partner’s mouth is something everyone enjoys. Sometimes, though, just saying those words just doesn’t feel like enough to truly demonstrate how deeply we feel for our partner. Lucky for us, there are hundreds of other ways to show your man how you feel about him. Here are just a few ideas for how you can show your boyfriend or husband that you love him without saying a word.
1. Cook his favorite meal.
You’ve surely heard the old adage, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” There is definitely at least a little bit of truth to these words! One great way to show your man you love him is by cooking a meal of all his favorites. You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to do this, just surprise him one night. Bonus points if you prepare things that he loves but rarely gets to have anymore because you don’t like them or because they take a while or a lot of work to prepare. He’ll surely appreciate the extra effort and care you put into this special meal.
2. Take care of something you know he hates to do.
While doing housework and chores is just a part of life, everyone has that one thing that they especially hate doing. For some, it’s folding laundry, for others, it’s sweeping, for me, it’s doing dishes. If there’s one thing in particular that your man usually does but you know he hates doing, do it for him once in a while without being asked. He will be grateful to not have to do it, and he’ll know that you did it just for him.
3. Wake up early with him, even if you don’t need to.
If your partner usually gets up and goes to work earlier than you do, it would be a nice gesture to get up with him, at least on occasion. While we all love to get our beauty rest, getting up with him to spend a little time with him before you part ways for the day will really make him feel special and appreciated. I work from home myself, but I never let my husband leave for work without getting up to give him a hug and a kiss goodbye. You could also help him get ready if possible; perhaps by preparing his lunch or something to save him a bit of time so he doesn’t have to rush so much.
4. Leave hidden notes for him.
Want a guaranteed way to make him smile? Leave some hidden notes for him to find. They don’t need to be long or super mushy, just a small note to show him that you care and value him. Stick it on the front door for him to see when he leaves for work or leave one on his pillow if you go to bed before he does. I once hid one in my husband’s lunchbox for him to find later when he was already at work, and he loved it. He still keeps the note in his wallet to this day.
5. Reward him when he does things for you.
It’s easy to criticize or complain when your man forgets to do something or doesn’t do it right. Sometimes, though, we forget to show appreciation when he does do something for us. Let your man know that you don’t take him for granted, and take time to reward him for all the little things he does. Maybe he did a chore that normally you do or he helped get the kids off to school this morning. Show him some extra affection with some hugs and kisses to let him know that you noticed.
6. Turn on the porch light when he’s working late.
Imagine this: You’ve had a super long day at work, and you’re finally on your way home. It’s already dark out by the time you arrive, and you can’t see where you’re stepping. You struggle to open the gate, find your keys, and finally manage to get the keys in the lock and the door open. Wouldn’t you have been grateful if the outdoor light had been left on so you could have an easier time of it? If you know your partner is going to be home late, a small but meaningful way to let him know you’re thinking of him is to leave the porch light on to help him out.
7. Let him vent about his day.
Women aren’t the only ones who like to share what happened during their day. When my husband comes home, he likes to tell me all about work, especially if it was a particularly tiresome day for him. I’ll admit, sometimes it can get a little boring—especially when he’s using work terms that I don’t even know the meaning of—but by listening anyways and giving him the chance to vent out his feelings and frustrations, you show him some much needed love and support.
8. Give him time to relax and be a guy.
Everyone needs a break from reality in the form of some “me time” on occasion. Sometimes, a guy just needs a break from being the family man for a little while, and that’s okay. By giving him some time to crack open a beer with his guy friends or sit down and play some video games, or whatever else he enjoys doing on his own, you show love and understanding for him. This also gives you a chance to have some girl time with your friends, and gives you guys a chance to miss each other.
While grand gestures and proclamations of love are always well-received, sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most. It’s easy to find these small opportunities to show your guy that you love him on a regular basis, and most ways are relatively simple to do. Words are great, but it’s just as important to back up your I-love-yous with actions to show that you mean it and that they aren’t just empty words.