Looking for words of encouragement for a man you love?
Maybe you’re racking your brain for the words you’d want to hear if you were going through a crisis of confidence.
All of us struggle with finding the right words to say when someone we love is going through a difficult time.
But whether your question is “How do I uplift my man?” or “What does he need to hear from me right now?” these words of encouragement will help.
Wherever you are in your relationship, you’ll find the inspiration you both need.
Why Do Men Need Encouragement?
All of us have insecurities — women and men. But men have been culturally trained to hide their fears and not appear vulnerable and needy.
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As common and acceptable as this masculine expectation is, imagine how challenging it must be to feel inadequate and try to hide it at the same time.
Your guy may appear confident and together most of the time, but that doesn’t mean he’s without insecurities or doesn’t need some encouragement from the person he loves most.
By allowing your guy to feel safe being vulnerable with you, you help override the cultural conditioning that forces him to “stuff it down” and man up.
Your encouraging words show you believe in him and accept him no matter what.
The best part?
Your encouragement and acceptance bring you even closer as a couple.
How Do You Encourage Your Man When He’s Down?
Your man is down in the dumps, and you’re looking for ways to help him rise from the muck. Unfortunately, everything you’ve tried thus far hasn’t worked, and you’re starting to give up hope.
Before throwing in the towel, here are a few more ideas to consider.
Send Him Encouraging Messages: A quick note of encouragement can mean the world.
Plan a Getaway: Packing a bag and ducking out of town for a few days is an effective cure for the moody blues.
Step Back: An earnest and unwavering desire to help partners can present as hovering, which is suffocating. In these instances, take a step back and allow your significant other to figure out their next move.
Handle the Logistics: Take things off their plate for a little while. Give them the gift of time and space to get their head cleared and refreshed. However, don’t overextend yourself. Doing so will further complicate the situation.
Quietly Champion Healthy Habits: Studies prove it: Eating well and exercising contributes to better mental health. But instead of hounding him about salads and jogs, make healthy meals to share and plan fun weekend activities that get you moving. Just do it. Don’t evangelize about it.
You’ve been in a relationship long enough to know how to encourage a man with words.
But sometimes, the situation calls for something deeper and more impactful.
We collected the messages below to meet that need.
Encouraging Words for Boyfriend
Even the most confident of boyfriends has an off day now and then. So, when you need the right words to lift him up and remind him how you see him, try one of these messages.
1. First, I respected you. Then, I trusted you. And now, there’s no one in the world I’d rather be with.
2. You always know how to make me laugh.
3. Of all the important people in my life, you make me proudest.
4. You help me put things in perspective. I don’t know what I’d do without you.
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5. Anything I get to do with you is my favorite thing.
6. I know we don’t always see eye to eye. But I’m glad we’re on the same team.
7. I love the way you see me. And I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.
8. If anyone could make the best of a day like today, you can.
9. You understand me better than anyone. I feel most at home with you.
10. Thank you for being someone who listens to understand — not just to reply.
11. Thank you for always being there for me. I hope you’ll let me be there for you, too.
12. You try harder than anyone else to understand where I’m coming from. It means more than you know.
13. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t rely on your good sense for something.
14. Your mind is every bit as beautiful as the rest of you. Don’t waste it.
15. First, I’d look at you, and my head would be a mess. Now, I look at you, and I feel calm, grateful, and ready for anything.
16. I can always count on you to help me see things from a different perspective — without making me feel like an idiot.
17. I need your perspective on this. You always have something to say that gets me thinking.
18. With you, I feel loved and appreciated — not just useful or mildly decorative.
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19. You’re ready to risk pain or humiliation to have a friend’s back. I admire that.
20. Even when I go overboard, you don’t act like I’m an embarrassment to you. Thank you for that.
Encouraging Text Messages for Him
Sometimes, all he needs is an encouraging text message from you to brighten his day. Use any of these encouraging messages to tell him you’re thinking of him and you miss his face.
21. I’m thinking of you every hour of the day. You’ve got this.
22. Hard work and having fun are always better with you.
23. It’s a lot easier to take life one day at a time when every day has you in it.
24. Having you as my best friend has made me a better person.
25. Life is a lot more interesting (and more fun) with you by my side.
26. You always make me proud. Whatever happens, I know you’ll make the best of it.
27. You deserve better than a sappy love message. You drive me nuts. Keep it up.
28. You inspire me to become a better person and to do more good with my life.
29. I rely as much on your strength as you rely on my faith in you, which I’ll always have.
30. I wish I could be there with you. I want to be everything you need me to be.
31. There’s nothing you can’t handle. I just wish I could be there to see you in action.
32. Coming back home to you is the best part of every day.
33. The more time I spend with you, the stronger I feel. I can face anything today.
34. Your words keep circulating in my mind, making me smile as I hear your voice.
35. Just saying your name to myself lights me up inside and helps me keep going.
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36. Running short on patience with the world right now. Need to be reminded of yours.
37. You’re the one I worry about the least — but also the one I think about the most.
38. Until I can see you face to face, this is a virtual kiss from your biggest admirer.
39. I know you don’t think I need you. But there’s no one whose company I want as much as yours.
40. Thank you for loving me — and not just despite who I am. What you see in me no one else sees.
Words of Encouragement for Him During Hard Times
These messages offer a demonstration on how to encourage a man when he’s down. When it seems the whole universe is against him, he needs to know you’re in his corner.
Let one of the following reassure him of that. And back it up with action.
41. I know some of those who influenced you weren’t kind. But they helped make you the man you are.
42. Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. You’re stronger than you know.
43. I am always here for you — just as you’re always here for me.
44. I can handle anything if you’re with me. I’m stronger and braver with you.
45. Just when I think I couldn’t be more impressed by you, you prove me wrong.
46. I never thought I needed a hero until I met you. And you’re all the hero I need.
47. Stop beating yourself up. You’re a work in progress. So am I, and you’ve made me better than I was.
48. Giving yourself a break isn’t the same as giving up. Sometimes, it’s just what you need to get back up again.
49. You’re human, same as me. We’ve both made mistakes. But no one keeps trying as stubbornly as you do.
50. I’d rather go through hell at your side than stand outside of it without you.
51. One thing I learned from you is it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. I’m here for you if you need me.
52. Watching you is how I’ve learned to handle disappointments with grace and a sense of humor. Nothing can keep you down for long.
53. It’s okay to not feel okay. No one is positive 100% of the time.
54. It’s okay to feel weak sometimes or to feel sad or disappointed or angry. It’s normal. What can I do to help?
55. I can’t promise things will get better. But you will get better at making the best of it.
56. You don’t have to do everything right. What’s a success even worth without a trail of failures that scream, “I was here?”
57. I know this is hard for you. But think of what you’ve been through already. You’ll find a way to make the best of this, too.
58. You know you’ve got me — not because you need me but because I know what I’ve got with you. As long as you’ll let me, I’ll be here.
59. It’s especially when things go wrong that I see how lucky I am to be with you.
60. It’s from you that I’ve learned how to react when things go wrong. But you don’t have to do this alone. That’s something I learned from you, too.
61. You’re the best I know at being there for people you care about. So, let me be here for you, too. This is where I want to be.
Whatever you are to each other, these messages from you will remind him you care enough to reach out and lift him up when he sounds tired and stressed.
62. You don’t know what I’d give to make your day better. Just ask.
63. I trust you to be strong, kind to everyone, and brave enough to face anything.
64. One of your hugs always makes the day better.
65. Right now, I just want to curl up with my head in your lap and listen to you talk.
66. Whatever happens, I have no doubt you’ll help someone get through it.
67. A hug from you and the sound of your voice is all the medicine I need right now.
68. Whatever you face today, I want to face it with you. Whatever I face, I want you there with me.
69. You already have everything you need to reach and exceed your goals for today.
70. I know this will be a challenging day for you. I also know you’ll handle it with grace and with your inexhaustible sense of humor. I only wish I could be there to see it.
71. What you’re facing today isn’t nearly as tough as you are.
72. Your comebacks are always stronger than your setbacks.
73. You are the reason I’m smiling right now. You’re also the reason I ask myself, “What would do?”
74. Even when life throws turds at you, you turn them to gold.
75. You have a gift for making other people’s lives better just by being in them.
76. You already have your “why” figured out. “How” should be a cakewalk for you.
77. From you, I’ve learned not so much to eliminate problems as to use them. I’ve seen you turn setbacks into advantages. You’ll do the same with this one.
Encouraging Quotes for Him
Look through these motivational quotes for your boyfriend and share those that best apply to his situation. Your connection with him can help you know what he needs to hear most — especially from you.
78. “The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.” — Swati Sharma
79. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in getting up every time we do.” — Confucius
80. “Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.” — Aldous Huxley
81. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
82. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw
83. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” — Dolly Parton
84. “It takes a great man to be a good listener.” — Calvin Coolidge
85. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” — Ernest Hemingway
86. “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” — Bob Marley
83. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” — Dolly Parton
88. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
89. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
90. “You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.” — George Lucas
91. “If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you. I came to live out loud.” — Emile Zola
92. “I really believe that everyone has a talent, ability, or skill that he can mine to support himself and to succeed in life.” — Dean Koontz
93. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.” — John Wooden
94. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
95. “Courage isn’t the strength to go on. It is going on when you don’t have strength.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
96. “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” — Oprah Winfrey
97. “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein
Words of Encouragement for Men Who Are Stuck
Is your man feeling stuck? Is he having trouble overcoming a particularly stubborn emotional, personal, or professional obstacle? Here are a few ideas for encouraging comments that will bolster his self-esteem.
98. I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t believe in you! You’ve got this!
99. Sometimes, everyone needs to “check out” for a while. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck where you are.
100. There’s not a doubt in my mind that you can turn things around.
101. I have unwavering faith in your ability to overcome.
102. It’s okay to be stuck sometimes. Devising solutions is an excellent exercise for the brain.
103. Try to look at your current situation as a lesson and challenge instead of an insurmountable roadblock.
104. Remember: God doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle.
105. I have every faith in your abilities. You will come out for the better on the other side.
106. In a phrase: I know you can do it! Unstick yourself!
107. I love you unconditionally and will be proud of you for making an effort, regardless of the outcome.
How To Encourage a Strong, Confident Man
Encouraging a stronger man requires a delicate blend of recognition and support. Men who possess strength and confidence often carry burdens unseen to the untrained eye. It’s important to understand that these strong-willed individuals want validation, not a questioning of their decisions and choices.
Take time to praise their tireless efforts, acknowledge the daunting challenges they surmount, and actively support their unyielding ambitions. Show heartfelt appreciation for their tenacity and perseverance, traits that make them a tower of strength.
Create a safe environment that invites them to express vulnerability, that opens them to be equally strong emotionally and physically. A warm reminder can help – behind every strong man stands a support system of love and inspiration, continually refueling his inner reservoir.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve looked through these words of encouragement for men, what are some effective ways to share these messages with the man in your life?
Send one in a text message (as suggested above).
Write a message on a whiteboard he’ll be sure to see.
Tuck an encouraging quote or love note into his bag.
Create a bookmark with one or two encouraging messages.
Leave an encouraging card or voicemail for him to find.
However, you share the messages that resonate with you, and choose your encouraging words and your timing with consideration and respect.
And when no words are needed or wanted, just be there.
