Let’s start with the most obvious and straightforward one, shall we?
Honest ones
Compliment the things you genuinely like about him, be honest with yourself and himself. If you tell him he dresses smartly, but secretly wish he would start wearing a different style of clothes, this can lead to a huge misunderstanding later.
Compliments his masculine features
Every one of us needs an ego boost sometimes, especially when we feel low(or rather to prevent that from happening). Choose some masculine features that you know your partner holds in high regard and mention them sometimes about him. Don’t try to fool him though! Telling him how strong he is after he just moved the sofa is great, but just outright saying “you have huge biceps” can seem shallow.
Personal ones
This is all about him being him, or the two of you being a couple – it can be deep, personal, quirky, etc. But it must be about something that is really there. If he always knows just when you need some special dessert after a hard day that can be worth mentioning and complimenting too.
Compliments his choice of friends
“Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are” is right, to a certain extent. Once you meet your partner’s friends it would go a long way if you later mention how interesting or cool some of them are and how well he fits in with the crowd. Most men are a part of one wolf pack or another, and most are proud of it.
Small things matter
A compliment doesn;t need to be about something major or significant. In fact, a light small compliment can easily make someone’s day brighter and better, you don’t have to make a speech out of it. Just randomly stating that his new cologne smells good on him or that the shirt he put on for your date matches his eyes well will boost his morale and confidence level.
Notice the things he does for you
Always express gratitude for and compliment the things your man does for you. People are different, and a lot of people have different baseline expectations for others. But when another person spends his time and money to do something for you, be it picking up something for you from the store, or fixing that sink that needed attention for weeks, it deserves praise.
Rachel Hall, M.A., completed her education in English at the University of Pennsylvania and received her master’s degree in family therapy from Northern Washington University. She has been actively involved in the treatment of anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, and coping with life changes and traumatic events for both families and individual clients for over a decade. Her areas of expertise include narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and therapy for traumatic cases. In addition, Rachel conducts workshops focusing on the psychology of positive thinking and coping skills for both parents and teens. She has also authored numerous articles on the topics of mental health, stress, family dynamics and parenting.
