We all go through tough times, and it is always challenging seeing someone you care about being sad or disappointed. Love is not an easy road either, but if you sincerely care for your partner – in this case, your girlfriend – you will do all it takes to make things work. Sometimes she will be unhappy about other things outside the relationship, such as work, family, friends, but you still have to be there for her and cheer her up.
If you feel like she is the one for you, cherish her and try your best to make her happy. Changing your girl’s state of mind or mood is not necessarily an expensive activity. All you have to do is put in the effort and show her the appreciation she deserves, and if her feelings for you are genuine, she will be thankful for each small gesture.
If you cannot understand the reason behind the tears, trust her process because, with small steps, she will reveal her reasons. You have to be patient and ready to catch her when she falls apart.
We have created a list of 20 ways in which you can make your girlfriend feel better. However, if you start doing some of these things regularly, your girlfriend will have fewer reasons to be sad.
Thank her
Your girlfriend is the person who would travel the whole world to see you. She is special because she makes you feel special. You must admit that not everyone has that gift. If she has been there for you when you were at your lowest, does everything in her power to see you happy, works for the relationship and your future, then you must take your time and thank her.
Show her gratitude and appreciation because she deserves it and because it will make her smile. Right now, that is the goal.
Be honest
Nothing makes a girl happier than knowing she can put her trust in you. If you have made a mistake, be sincere to her and explain the situation. It might make her sad at the moment, but it is more likely that she forgives you when you tell her than when she finds the truth on her own.
If she caught you lying in the past, in her weak moments, the lying will add up to her sadness and will make her overthink. After all, this is the thing you want to avoid. Instead of giving her more reasons to worry and be anxious, be honest with her every day and reassure her, she is the only woman in your life.
Compliment her
You might not always notice it, but your girlfriend is making efforts to please you. She will sometimes dress nicer, wear make-up, tell you funny stories to make you laugh. If you are not “the complimenting type”, get out of your comfort zone and tell her how beautiful you think she is.
Express your feelings for her, tell her that she is the funniest, the smartest and the kindest person you know. Surprise her with a random text or phone call during the day. This small gesture will keep her happy for a few days!
Do something for her
If you feel like your girlfriend have been in a bad mood lately, why not surprise her with a date? It does not have to be anything pompous or over the top. It has to be something she wanted for a long time, and you never got the chance to do it or recreate a date she really enjoyed in the past.
Even remembering her favorite movie is sufficient to cheer her up. The only condition is to be thoughtful and put your mind to something she actually likes or needs. Fixing her broken cabinet or changing her sheets could be enough, too.
Learn more about her
You could be together for twenty years or more, and you still will not know everything about your girlfriend. She is human, so she is constantly growing, changing and evolving. Some of the things she told you at the beginning of the relationship might not be valid now. Ask her about new hobbies, food and colors she would like to wear more.
The fact that you are interested in her life will make her happy and help you build trust. Getting to know each other, even after years of relationship, is a healthy habit that brings fortune and happiness to your couple.
Be affectionate
You can show affection in multiple ways. If your girlfriend likes to feel your presence, spend more time with her, hug and kiss your lover more. When she is down, be gentle, do not hurry to ask questions, just show her the love you have for her.
Remind her how much she means to you and prove to her you are there to help her go through all the dark moments. Loving your girlfriend unconditionally, without barriers, is what will make her the happiest.
Ask her on a date
If you recently decided to form a couple, you might want to learn more about her and ask her what she likes to do. Then, you could prepare a date that she will genuinely enjoy. Your girlfriend knows that you are going out of your way for her and appreciates the effort. On the other hand, if you have been dating for a while, there are big chances you have not gone on a date for ages.
As you get more comfortable with someone, you tend to skip the fancy pants and the dinners in favor of cozy cuddles and a movie at home. However, maybe you should break the circle and invite her to a good restaurant or a movie at the cinema.
Hug her tight
Do you know what girls love most? They love closing their eyes and smelling your perfume while hugging you. For your girlfriend, there is no safer place in the world than your arms. She might fight some demons out there, but when she hugs you, all the evil disappears for a few moments.
Help her take a break from all the sadness following her, and hug her for as long as she needs. It will make her happy knowing you are so patient with her.
Cook for her
You do not have to be a chef to cook a meal, especially that her favourite meal will most likely be something simple to cook. Food is always an excellent step to cheer a girl up. Invite her to dinner, and you can even cook while she is there. Most women find men that cook attractive. Do not worry about the taste.
Even if it is absolutely atrocious, she will still appreciate the effort. She will feel loved and special, and her problems will disappear for a while.
Tell her jokes
Have you done everything in your power to help her solve the problems? Did you listen without intruding and tried your best to understand her point of view? Great! Now it is time to do something to bring that bright smile you love on that face. You must know that nothing makes a girl feel better than a laughing session with her partner.
Give her a good time by telling all the silly jokes you kept accumulating in your brain for the perfect moment. Show her all the memes you have saved on your phone. Be goofy and make funny faces like a child. You probably won her by making her laugh. You can make her giggle again.
Make this about her
You have your problems, too, but right now, she gained enough trust to open up to you and tell her about what is not going well in her life. Focus on her, and do not let yourself fall into the trap of covering her confession with yours.
If you assure her of your involvement, she will be more likely to let you approach the problem.
Do not interrupt her
Make sure not to cut her off when she is talking, or even worse- do not start mansplaining. Mansplaining is a concept that refers to men who talk over a woman and patronize the conversation as only what they are thinking is important or relevant to the discussion. She must know you respect her enough to let her speak without feeling the need to complete her sentences.
If you are mansplaining, you will not cheer her up. However, you will most certainly upset her even more. You can, of course, offer your support and give her pieces of advice, but only when she finishes talking or takes breaks in her monologue.
Have patience
If your girlfriend comes up to you and explains that something is not working the way it is supposed to in her life, you will probably feel the need to find a solution to whatever problem is causing her to feel this way. Yet, this is not the best approach all the time. Have enough patience to listen to her first and empathize with her.
Try to understand what her actions and emotions are telling you. Does she need a problem-solver or a person to listen to her? Does she need jokes or someone to let her cry on their shoulder?
Be interested
Quit the questions to which she could respond in only two ways: “yes” or “no”. This approach is not helpful for the situation, as you will not find anything too valuable. Instead, try asking open questions that determine her to explain the circumstances.
For example, ask her: “What makes you feel like this?”, “How can I help?”, “Why did her reaction upset you”, etc. These questions will encourage you to find the root of the problem, and then you can start discussing how to overcome it.
Listen to her
Your girlfriend might be overthinking a lot on this period. This might cause her to be moody and upset. The secret to a happy girlfriend is to listen to her carefully and remember the things she is telling you.
If you do not know why is she feeling unhappy, you will not be able to cheer her up.
Plan your future together
Your girlfriend might feel insecure about your relationship when you avoid thinking about the future. You must have a purpose for the relationship to grow and move forward. Reassuring your girl that you plan to continue being with her will make her happy and will take some of the pressure off her chest.
A new relationship doesn’t need this kind of thinking as much, but once the years pass, you should think about your future together and plan your next move.
For a connection to keep evolving it is important to make sure you are on the same path. For example, if you think about opening a restaurant in London and she dreams of working with poor kids from Africa, then you should discuss the potential issues that might appear and see if you are ready to separate for a long time.
The same goes for marriage and children. If one is ready for such commitments and the other isn’t, then you must address the problem and try finding a middle ground. If you keep avoiding these serious talks, both of you will be miserable when you finally accept the differences between you two.
The best way to make your girlfriend feel good about your relationship is by reminding her that she is included in your plans.
Communicate
You probably heard this a million times in the past: communication is the secret to a healthy relationship. Holding back your feelings and repressing your emotions will lead to future issues, criticism, and aversion. Communication starts by listening to what your partner is saying. Acting like adults involves taking criticism as an opportunity to change your relationship for the better, not as an attack from your partner.
But how do you become a better listener? Focus on her and try to understand her message without reading between the lines or making assumptions. Think about her issues from her perspective, not from yours, and pay close attention to her emotions. Do not avoid eye contact and remind her that you are listening by nodding or making affirmative gestures.
When she finishes talking, it is time to present your way of seeing things. No matter how hard it might feel to express your thoughts, be true to her and to yourself. As harsh as your emotions might be, it is always better to tell her how you feel than lie to her to avoid hurting her sentiments.
The 10 minutes rule
Terri Orbuch, a relationship expert, came up with this rule that says that for 10 minutes, you and your partner have to talk about anything else but children, work, tasks, and responsibilities. You could talk about movies, shows, weather, or about yourself as a person. Google some interesting questions and ask each other.
This will create a safe moment in which you take a break from all the chaos and drama happening in your life, and allows you to visualize the good in all the bad.
Travel
If you can afford a small vacation, even if it means going away 30 minutes from the city, do it! Your life belongs to you, and you are the only ones responsible for your happiness.
New surroundings will help her take her mind of the things that bother her. A peaceful, serene atmosphere will give her enough time to process the issues calmly.
Stay positive
This step is one of the most important ones. While listening to your girlfriend, remind her that things will get better and that a few problems are not the end of the world. No matter how sad she is, you must not assimilate her negative attitude, but slowly help her gain your positive one. Validate her feelings, but do not let her feel completely hopeless.
Reassure her that you are right next to her no matter what. Try phrases like: “I know it seems like a big deal right now, but we will get through this and will laugh about it in a few years”, “I am here for you, and I promise everything will be okay in the end”, “We could remember the beautiful moments we have lived, and you will see that things are not that bad”.
Final Thoughts
We all go through difficult moments, and it is crucial to have a shoulder to cry on, a person to turn to when the world seems to fall apart. Being that person for your girlfriend might be challenging, but once you understand her, cheering her up won’t be as hard.
Listen to her, validate her feelings and avoid minimizing the impact a problem has on her. Only by helping her open up to you, you will get to put a smile on the beautiful face that you love.
