1. Laugh With Us—and at Us
Men don't measure mates against the Victoria's Secret catalog. In fact, only 12 percent of us say that superficial stuff matters more than a woman's sense of humor, smarts, or sweet demeanor. That trio proves irresistible to more than 75 percent of our readers. But of the three, sense of humor is most important—it serves as our mental matchmaker. "It's a sign of intellectual compatibility," says Billy Goldberg, M.D., coauthor of Why Do Men Fall Asleep after Sex? "You can't just be a laugh track. Men want a woman who is as comfortable relating her own ridiculous anecdote as she is listening to ours." Humor actually serves three roles. First, it defuses awkward situations, says David Borgenicht, coauthor of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating and Sex. So the dinner your guy just charred is hilarious, not disgusting. Second, it identifies common ground: "Really? You loved Blades of Glory, too?" And most important, it shows your spine—our high-school yearbook photo or encyclopedic grasp of baseball stats probably deserves to be skewered, after all. So go ahead, take us down a notch. Wield your humor wisely and we'll be hooked for good.
2. Take Your Affection Outside
Men want a partner, not a caregiver. More than 67 percent of Men's Health guys are begging for an end to sappy, smothering moves like fixing our errant hair or straightening our collars. What's a caring girlfriend to do? "A man wants to be with someone who will defend and support him," says Chethik. "It's easier for him to accept help from you—to admit that he has a weakness—if a specific event or issue is bringing him down." In other words, help us fix our problems, not our character flaws. So bring us soup when we're sick in bed; lift us up when a work project is stomping us down. Help a man feel secure, like you've got his back, and he'll want to spend time with you. Stifle him and he might start looking to escape.
4. Compliment Us—Carefully
5. Impress Our Friends
You're smart enough to grant your man the occasional guys' night out, right? Good. Boxing out a man's friends is a relationship deal breaker, according to 83 percent of the men we surveyed. But make the most of that long leash you've granted him. Look at his best available pals as fix-up material for your solo friends. And if he's planning a pub crawl, meet his crew at the bar, buy the first round, then peel off so they can spend time together: "You have a blast with the boys, hon. I'm going to head home and relax." He'll keep you in mind all night long, and later on his buds will gripe less when you're on a date during the NBA playoffs (if it's game two, in an early round)."It's important for her to relate to his friends," says Dr. Goldberg, "not just tolerate them."
6. Let Us Meet Yours
7. Smooth Our Moods
Men aren't immune to mood swings; we're just more likely to bury them. When we're not acting like ourselves, simply say, "You look wrecked. What's up?" If he starts spilling his soul, resist the urge to coerce him into a dialogue—34 percent of guys only want you to listen. "Men want women to be sensitive but not intrusive, which is a delicate dance," says Eli Finkel, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at Northwestern University. For a guy, simply telling you about his troubles can be enough, without trying to resolve them. If that doesn't work, divert our attention. Helping us forget about that overbearing boss or obnoxious friend is the preferred coping mechanism for 32 percent of Men's Health guys, according to our survey. "Sometimes we need to get our minds off a subject," says Borgenicht. "That could mean going out for a drink, cooking dinner together, or watching a movie." The more attention we need to pay to the diversion, the less brainpower we'll devote to stewing.
8. Reinvent Foreplay
Slow-burning sex isn't better only for you. "Longer foreplay helps men synchronize with their partners, giving them confidence and, as a result, better control over ejaculation," says Seth Prosterman, Ph.D., a certified sex therapist in San Francisco. Perhaps this will shock you, but foreplay is important to us, too. More than 75 percent of our guys say they want foreplay to last 15 minutes or more, which ought to please the 84 percent of women who agree. Here's how to warm him up and clue him in. Start the seduction on a sweet note, with your man on top. Guide his hands, stroking his palm the way you'd like to be touched. Your magic phrase? "Like this." That's all—he'll get the point.
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