Are you looking for ways to make your boyfriend feel special? Use these 15 tips on how to make your guy feel loved, and he’ll love you more for it!

Appreciation in a relationship always brings both lovers closer together.

As a lover, you’d want to feel appreciated by your guy.

And just like you, your guy too would want to feel loved and desired by you.

Subconsciously, every guy craves to be seen as a special someone in his girlfriend’s life.

Your guy could try to please you and woo you, but unless you display your appreciation back to him, it would always make him feel unloved.

[Read: 15 sweet ways to make your guy feel wanted in the relationship]

The need to make a lover feel loved and special

Many relationships break down because the guy in the relationship feels neglected.

Just as women need pampering and reassurance from her man now and then, men have the need to feel loved and wanted too.

Your guy may say he’d want a girl who’s independent, but yet, he’d secretly hope you’d be just a little more dependent on him, because he loves the fact that he’s wanted and intensely loved by you.

Often, men who feel unappreciated or unloved in a relationship *even if the woman truly loves him to bits* go astray in search of another woman who can show him just how much he’s loved and needed in her life. And this is especially common in relationships once the stage of infatuation transitions into the next stages of love. [Read: The nine stages of love every couple goes through]

The little ways to make your man feel special

The little things you do, and the way you respond to your guy when he does something nice for you is one of the easiest ways to make a guy feel loved.

Communicate with him, understand him and go out of your way to do something special for him now and then. Display your affection for him through sweet, little romantic gestures and most importantly, tell him just how much you love him every now and then.

As the months turn into years in a relationship, it’s easy to overlook the little gestures or even take them for granted. And just as you start to take things for granted, your husband or boyfriend too would simultaneously start to feel unloved and neglected in the relationship. [Read: 36 sweet and cute things to say to your boyfriend to make him smile!]

15 easy ways to make your guy feel loved and special

Sometimes, you don’t need words to show your love. Just use these 15 subtle ways to make your guy feel special and loved, and he’ll realize just how much he means to you, even if you don’t use a single word to describe your love for him!

#1 Don’t be critical. Every time your guy tries to do something, be it to impress you or to achieve something in his life, avoid being overly critical. Even if you don’t believe in his abilities, try to talk to him about the pros and cons instead of criticizing him for the things he does.

Criticism feels like a big blow, especially when it feels like an accusation instead of a word of advice. If there’s something you want to tell him, you can always advise him as long as you avoid scorning him or treating him like a spoiled child. [Read: 10 things you should never say to your guy ever!]

#2 Guys hate insecurity. If there’s one thing that makes a guy feel neglected and ordinary, it’s when the girl he loves treats him like he’s just another guy. Don’t ever neglect him or give him less attention when you’re talking to another guy, especially one who your guy perceives as a threat.

If you’re in love with your guy, never make him feel insecure or threatened in the relationship. Always make him feel special and let him know that he’s the most important guy in your life. [Read: 25 ways to make your man feel really happy every single day!]

#3 Stand up for him. When you’re in public and someone speaks disrespectfully to him, support your man and stand up for him even if you think your man’s in the wrong. You can always tell him in private about your own opposing opinions. When both of you are in public together, he’d see you as his pillar of strength and he would be crushed to see you oppose him or gang up on him with someone else.

#4 Compliment him. Compliment your man when he makes an effort to impress you. Be genuine in your appreciation and commend him for being a good man, praise his achievements and accomplishments and go easy on the negative criticisms. Your compliments matter a lot to your guy, because he’d always take your opinions into considerations, and it also makes him feel good about himself. [Read: 25 compliments for guys they’ll never ever forget!]

#5 Flirt with him in front of others. Your guy may feel awkward when you cling to his arms or give him a kiss in public. But as awkward as he may appear, he’d still love your public display of affection. Just watching the other guys stare at him with jealousy is a high very few things can match up to!

#6 Accept your mistakes. If you make a mistake, be graceful enough to accept it. Avoid trying to manipulate your guy or tricking him into giving in or believing it was his fault because your ego is too fragile to accept faults. Your guy may not say it out loud, but he may realize that he’s being manipulated and hate you for it. Learn to let go of your need to be right every single time. It only makes you seem more human. [Read: 12 discreet and subtle signs of a manipulative lover]

#7 Give him your support. Let your man know that you’ll always be there for him. If you see him busy working on something or searching for something frantically, offer to help him instead of just watching him while lazing on the couch. Offering your help, even if he declines it, shows that you care about him and are always eager to help him out of a fix.

#8 Look your best. Look good for your man, especially when both of you go out together. Dress up, smell great and look fabulous in his arms. And each time his friend or colleague drops his jaw in awe of you, your man will thank his lucky stars for dating a girl who’s as awesome as you! [Read: 18 cute ways to look pretty and catch every guy’s eye!]

#9 Give him attention in public. If you’re not into public display of affection, you can always compensate for that by being a playful tease! While sitting in a restaurant, slide your foot close to his and rub his foot with yours from under the table when he’s talking to his friends. Lean into him or hold his hand when you’re walking down the street with him. Be playful and flirty even if you’re being discreet, and your guy will feel so much more special! [Read: 12 naughty bad girl traits every guy wants to see in his own girl]

#10 Surprise him. You give him something nice on his birthday and every other special occasion, right? Well, don’t stop at that! Surprise him every now and then with little sweet gestures like movie tickets, or tickets to a game, a set of power tools, and other things that might excite him. Slip it into his hands when both of you are having dinner or when both of you get into bed. The gifts may be inexpensive, but your gestures, well, they’d make him feel like a million bucks!

#11 Unexpected affection. Tiptoe to your man from behind and hug him when he’s reading something. Walk up to him and kiss his cheek, or stare at him from across the room and wink at him suggestively. Indulge in these funny, surprising acts of love every now and then. It’ll make him smile and laugh, and most of all, it’ll make his heart swell with love.

#12 Comparisons. Never compare your man in bad light with other men, especially when you’re trying to make a point. It’s a low blow that’ll hit him hard and make him feel miserable. He may already know his weaknesses, but when you point it out to him by comparing him to some other man, he’d feel smaller and very emasculated. [Read: 14 things you say and do that emasculates your man]

#13 Listen to him. Do you ever argue over a point of view with your man? Heated debates are completely acceptable in a happy relationship. But when he’s trying to explain his point of view, try not to see red and yell at him. Listen to what he has to say completely even if you know you’re only going to disagree. Ignoring his opinions will only make him feel like you don’t care what he thinks.

#14 Communicate with him. Communication in a relationship is one of the most important aspects of a happy relationship. If you want your guy to feel loved and special, try to understand him better by communicating with him.

Play games with each other, discuss issues while watching television, pillow talk in bed, and ask each other naughty questions over the weekend. It’ll help you understand your man better, and most importantly, it’ll make him feel like you really care about him and want to understand him better. [Read: 30 naughty and fun questions to keep the spark alive in a relationship]

#15 Physical intimacy. Physical intimacy doesn’t always mean sex. More than just sexual intimacy, a happy relationship also requires non-sexual touches like cuddles to feel loved. Sit on his lap, play with his hair, or give him an occasional backrub when you have some time on your hands. When you touch your guy in a non-sexual way or play with him while sitting together, both of you will feel good, and he’ll definitely feel really special to have you in his life. [Read: 16 non-sexual touches to feel connected and loved]

Try these 15 tips on how to make your guy feel loved and special when you’re with your guy, and your guy will realize just how lucky he is to date a girl who’s as wonderful and awesome as you!