Spreading Joy

Making a Difference One Person At a Time One Day At a Time

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20 Easy Ways to Encourage your Spouse

Life is busy, hectic and extremely demanding.  If we aren’t careful, we’ll let stuff get in the way and neglect the truly important things/people in our life.

Encouragement goes a long way and usually doesn’t cost a dime.

20 ways to encourage your spouse

 

 

We are good at encouraging others at work, church and even friends/family but what about our spouses?

Here are 20 things we can do to encourage our spouses:

  1.  Sex/Cuddle – Yep – you knew I was going to go there first. Ladies, nothing has changed since you married your guy.  Guys – same for you, we love being held with no expectations of anything else.  Having a happy mixture of both of these elements is huge for both husband and wife.
  2. Encouraging Notes – Leave a note in your spouse’s Bible, lunch box or somewhere that they frequent during the day.  It doesn’t have to a long sonnet or poetic, just heart felt.  Now, if you are good at writing those amazing poems we sappy spouses love to get, then by all means do so.
  3. Help – Helping each other around the home puts things into perspective.  Ladies, ask for help but don’t complain “how” he does it.  Just be thankful he does.  Guys offer to help, knowing that we NEED you to and want you to.  Ladies, if it’s something high up, ask your guy to help you and then make a cute comment about the “view” right in front of you.
  4. Do little Things for him/her – Make their coffee for them, if you are fixing yourself something to drink, ask if they want something.  Pick up their favorite treat next time you are at the store.
  5. Support their dreams and inspire them to reach their goals.
  6. Have a lunch date at work.
  7. Make their favorite dessert.
  8. Find something new that you both love to do and enjoy it together
  9. Be kind and affectionate – a little kindness goes a long way. Speak kindly of and to your spouse. Hold hands, kiss goodnight.
  10. Show Gratitude as often as you can for all that you can
  11. Ask him/her out – I still get all kinds of giddy when the Mr. calls me up and asks me out on a date.  I know he has planned it and all I have to do is show up.
  12. Pray for him/her and let them know you are doing so
  13. Communicate better – Ladies, your guy isn’t a mind reader.  Guys, your lady needs to hear and be reminded of the love you hold for her in your heart.
  14. Do nothing together – Seriously, having some down time together, just chatting and doing nothing for a little bit is super refreshing
  15. Compliment them on a job well done – you never know what a kind word will spark
  16. Send a sweet text – one of the other contributors created some texts that you can use to send to your sweetheart. Check it out here
  17. Laugh together – Watch funny videos or movies, but do something that will make you laugh together
  18. Love Unconditionally – love BIG and unconditionally.  In doing so, you’ll be teaching your children what to look for in a spouse
  19. Give them a note listing some of the things you love about them.  The Mr. and I was having a bit of a rough patch and for a while all I could see was what he didn’t do anymore.  I took the list of those things, turned in around into what I loved that he use to do and gave it to him on nice cardstock and laminated.  He thought I had purchased it until he got down to the part about how I loved the fact he wears cologne just for me.  He prefers not to wear it, but knows I love it.  This prompted him to start doing some of the things I truly treasure.  To encourage you, he graciously allowed me to publish that here.  The Priceless Things I love about you.
  20. Say I love you – often and then show them.

 

How do you encourage your spouse?

 

What would you include?

 

Is there anything special that your spouse does for you that you want to share?

For me – the Mr. always keeps a check on my gas in my car.  He knows that I hate pumping gas, so a few times a week he will check the fuel gage on my car and if it needs it, he will take it and fill it up for me.

If he has been busy, all I have to do is ask and he’ll do it.  It’s HUGE to me that he does this.

 

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Comments

  4. 7

    I praise him in front of our children!
    I make it a point to verbalize to the children how much I love their father. I make know: how proud I am of him, how he works hard to provide for us (especially if he has to leave home for work…we are a military family), I acknowledge how loved he makes me feel, and how he makes time with us a priority. I feel it’s important to affirm to my children. Maybe it will help them choose the same qualities/characteristics in a future spouse.
    Amanda G. recently posted..Where Treetops Glisten| Book Review & More

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  8. 13

    @Jenn – praying for him truly helps doesn’t it? those that we love the most, we often pray for the most. draws us closer.

    @deb a positive little thing like that really makes for a great evening! recapping the day together, making new memories – great things that will last a life time!

    thanks for adding to this post yall

    HUGS
    Marie
    Spreading Joy recently posted..Just One is Larger than You Can Imagine

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  10. 15

    Love this list. There are so many little things we can do to encourage our spouses. It’s amazing how quickly we take each other for granted and stop trying.

    Marissa

    Reply
  11. 16

    I Love to ask my husband what he wants and what I can do to encourage him. Then I try to do those things for him. I love your comprehensive list!
    –Gena

    Reply
  21. 26

    @amy – thank you and yes – I love laughing with the Mr. We can be so silly together and those memories are often the most fun!

    @Marissa thank you! Many just quit putting effort into the day. I agree.

    @Gena – so simple isn’t it… We need to ask what will encourage you the most. We just might be surprised.

    @Jelli – Ohhh the Mr. Did that for me. When the kids would cry, he would change them and bring them to me and I would feed them. Was a great way for him to bond and then for me to bond. Love that.

    @Matilda – thank you for the smile!! I love easy and practical. Would love to know if you have any to add to this list!

    @Mary – Thank Mary! Gotta mix in some Fun with the crazy.

    @Melanie – That is a good idea. We just assume they know they are being prayed for but I do the same. and sometimes he will say – I thought so because it was just working out way too well today. 🙂 makes me smile when that happens.

    @Brandi – the Mr. does this for me too!! He is super thoughtful in this area!!

    @Andi – prayer is first and foremost!!

    @Jonathan – too often we assume and well, you know what that does

    @Caroline – I use to work out of town and would only be home on the weekends and would leave notes for him to find during the week.

    @Gina we feel the same. we rarely do it but we love to just sit outside or on the couch and just chat.

    Thanks for the joy you’ve brought our way today!

    Reply

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