Skip to Content

How to Make My Wife Laugh More? – 9 Expert Tips

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on Last updated:

Categories Improve Your Relationship

Laughing with your partner is a wonderful bonding experience. But with busy schedules, the pressures of being a good wife, and maybe even kids, you may find that your wife is laughing less than she once did. Are you asking how to make my wife laugh more?

Help your wife laugh more and be less stressed by taking tasks off her to-do list, encouraging her to go out occasionally with friends, listening without trying to fix her problems, and helping her find balance in her life.

Ultimately, an overworked and stressed-out wife isn’t going to laugh or shine the way she used to. And unfortunately, many of us get blinders on and go through our daily lives without really thinking about what we could do to help our spouses.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into why your wife may not be laughing more. And then, from there, you’ll learn what you can do to help her have more fun.

Just keep reading!

Sad wife complaining after break up in winter

So now let’s review my . . . 

9 Proven Tips on how to bring laughter back into the marriage!

Bringing laughter back into the marriage may take a little soul searching. You need to identify why there is less laughter in the first place. Boredom, busyness, and complacency can be a culprit.

Asking your wife what you can do for her can help. Fun surprises and simply sitting out and talking can lead to a better connection. Better connections naturally flow to happier marriages with more laughter.

Below are my 9 tips for bringing laughter back into your marriage.

Start by trying one of them and see where it goes. You might find that it doesn’t take a lot to make both of you feel better in the marriage.

1. Identify what’s changed – kids, careers, income?

First, identify what’s changed.

Having kids can change a woman’s body significantly. Those changes can make her feel less confident herself. Having kids can also make a woman feel like she is a different person. Like she doesn’t know who she is anymore.

Having a career and quitting her job to take care of the kids can also impact how she feels about herself. Maybe she feels overwhelmed taking care of the kids or like she’s not contributing because she isn’t working outside of the home anymore.

Balancing a career with motherhood also takes its toll.

Women typically endure the most life changes after having kids. Their bodies are different, and their emotions are different. They also feel societal pressures to be the mom everyone else expects them to be.

If you find that your wife feels less confident and has body image issues, check out this recent article. There I talk about the ways your wife may be expressing her lack of confidence and how you can help her feel better about herself.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

2. Ask her what you can do for her

Sometimes, you may not be sure what to do, and that’s okay. Ask her what she needs from you.

But don’t just ask her what she needs; really listen to what she is saying. You may not like what she has to say. And while she’s talking, you may feel the need to interject or even to start forming your response before she is done talking.

If you’re doing this, you’re not really listening to her.

Instead, you’re thinking about how to best frame your idea. You try to recall the most important details while she’s speaking.

You lose the point of what she is trying to tell you. You’ve stopped being present. Don’t be that person. Stay present and attentive so you can address her needs. Show her that you respect her by being an active listener.

Take a moment to reflect on what she is saying. Are her requests reasonable? If they are, take a look inward and implement the necessary steps to meet those needs.

3. Appreciate her without expecting anything in return

Both people in a relationship need to work together.

And trying to change who your partner is can hurt her self-confidence. Accept and appreciate them without any expectations.

Everybody has something about their partner that annoys them. But instead of trying to change those annoying behaviors, show appreciation for the things you love about your wife.

I bet she does a lot of little things for you that you take for granted.

Does she pack your lunch every day before you head out to work? Does she work a long day and then come home to cook dinner? Maybe she washes the sheets in special detergent, making fresh sheets smell oh so good.

When she does little things like these, don’t take them for granted. Acknowledge it!

However small, appreciate the fact that your wife did something for you that she didn’t have to do.

Then, do something in return without any expectations of it being returned.

Wives don’t do things because they feel like they have to or they expect something in return. They do them out of love.

4. Surprise her with a weekend getaway for her and her best friend

Sometimes our wives just need some quality time with their friends. It’s easy to lose yourself when you become a mom.

Kids, work, and marriage can get in the way of being a friend. It can sometimes be months in between talking to or hanging out with her friends because of this.

So, make arrangements for her to spend a weekend with her best friend somewhere she loves.

Make reservations at a hotel. Reassure her that you will take care of the house and kids for the weekend and send her on her way.

It doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant.

Maybe you know someone that has a beach house or mountain house you can borrow or rent at a reduced rate. Or look for coupon codes and discounted rates at a local Bed & Breakfast. There are many ways to book weekend getaways that are cost-effective.

This is a great way to show appreciation for her without expectation.

She’ll be excited to have the weekend to herself. She’ll also come back rested and grateful for the time away.

5. Sit down together and create a goals list for the next 1,2,5 and 10 years

A great way to bring more joy into the marriage, and to feel more connected, is to make long-term plans.

What are your goals for the next several years? Is there a big project you want to do? A special place you want to visit?

Making goals, and setting up a plan to reach those goals, is also a good way to understand your wife better.

A better understanding of your wife’s goals will lead to a better understanding of her and what makes her happy.

While you are making plans for your goals, you can purposely carve out time to spend together.

You’d be surprised at how much time you can find on your calendar when you really sit down and look at how you spend your time.

6. Have a regular date night

Going on regular dates will trigger fond memories of your younger, fresher marriage, especially if you go on dates to some of the places you enjoyed when you were first dating.

Of course, you can go to new places, too. Going to new places will spark a sense of adventure and excitement.

Date nights are a time to reconnect, so they shouldn’t include your kids.

Leave the kids at home and stay off of your phone as much as possible. And by as much as possible, I mean don’t look at your phone unless it’s an absolute emergency.

Leave the kids with someone you trust, so you don’t have to worry about them constantly. If they are older, leave them home with a list of trusted contacts to call if they need something that is not emergent.

Date nights are just one way to restore a marriage, though. Making a positive change for yourself, setting aside time for sex, and simply listening to your partner are all good ways to restore your marriage.

To read more about how to restore your marriage, check out this recent article.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

7. Take walks together (fresh air, exercise & sunlight are natural mood boosters)

Date nights and sex aren’t the only ways to reconnect.

Don’t get me wrong, those things are great, but sometimes just a walk on a nice day can do the trick. Walk around the neighborhood or head to a local state park. Being out in nature and getting fresh air are natural mood boosters. And especially if your wife suffers from depression or other mental illnesses, this can really help.

Sunlight provides essential Vitamin D, and exercise is good for your physical and emotional health.

And, of course, it’s another opportunity to connect.

It’s a chance to get out of the house and into a new environment. Just getting into a new environment can help you feel more relaxed.

There are numerous benefits to walking regularly. Studies show that the more steps you take, the more you reduce your risk of mortality from all causes, particularly if you are over 40 years old.

On top of that, you’ll sleep better at night, you can ward off depression, and you may even lose a few pounds! (source)

8. Ask her directly about what’s going on (without accusations)

Sometimes simply asking what she needs is the best approach. If you’ve noticed that she’s been in a mood lately, ask her what’s going on.

Be direct with what you want, but don’t be accusatory.

For example, don’t say, “why are you so angry?!”

Instead, say, “I feel like you’ve not been yourself lately. What can I do to help?”

Make it more about how you’re feeling and what you’re noticing. Don’t raise your voice or name-call.

Don’t keep a collection of all of the things you feel are wrong. Talk about things as they come up, and resolve them as quickly as possible.

If you find that you are arguing instead of laughing every day, there may be an underlying reason. Every relationship faces its challenges.

Talking about those challenges is the most effective way to work it out. But sometimes talking can turn into arguing. If this happens frequently, you may be less inclined to talk about your issues.

But keeping things bottled up is never healthy, either.

To read more about whether it’s normal for a married couple to fight every day, check out this recent article. Arguing in and of itself isn’t unhealthy. It’s HOW we argue that makes it healthy or unhealthy.

Just click that link to read more on my site.

9. Plan a dream vacation for just the 2 of you

If it’s been a long time since you’ve done something special together, plan a dream vacation for just the two of you.

This could be part of your goal planning I talked about earlier. Simply the act of planning a dream vacation can be a chance to bond and rekindle the relationship. It’s also another chance to find out the things your wife wants to do.

Plan both fun and romantic things to do while you are on vacation.

Does your wife love the beach or something more exotic? Does she want to see the Great Wall of China, or does she want to do something closer to home?

Planning things you both want to do together and then actually doing those things will bring back the excitement in the marriage.

It gives you a common goal to work towards together.

If you are so inclined, you can even make a vision board. Cut out pictures of places you want to visit and display them in a prominent place. Add to it over time, so you don’t forget or get too busy to actually go on that vacation.

Make it fun. Planning the vacation can be just as fun as actually going on vacation!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make my wife more fun?

Don’t just focus on how to make your wife more fun. Instead, focus on helping your wife achieve her goals, not feel overworked, and find ways to bring the fun back in the marriage. If she feels supported she will naturally be less stressed and more fun to be around.

As the years pass in a marriage, things can get busier and busier, especially if you have children. Daily life activities can get in the way and end up putting your marriage on the back burner.

If it sounds like your marriage is due for some fun, sit down with your wife and take a close look at your marriage. Is the speed of life crowding out the important things?

Maybe you just feel like you’re too busy to focus on the marriage.

There are a few really easy things you can do to bring fun back into your marriage. If you find that you are just bogged down with daily activities, see what you can pare down to give each other more time.

Put the kids to bed early every once in a while, do household chores together, and find ways throughout the day to make physical contact.

If you find that you’re in a rut, find ways to be more spontaneous. Even little ways, like sending love texts, or giving her a random compliment, can make your wife feel more connected to you.

By spending quality time together, you’ll find that fun will naturally follow.

What makes my wife happy?

Things that will likely help your wife feel happier or at least appreciated include:

  • Sharing household chores
  • Appreciating your wife without expectation
  • Making sure she has the occasional time for herself
  • Touching without the expectation of sex

Happy wife, happy life is how the saying goes, right? If you’ve been married for any amount of time, you should have a pretty good idea of what makes your wife happy.

At a minimum, you know what doesn’t make her happy.

Flowers are an easy way to make your wife happy. But don’t wait for a special occasion. Just pick some up whenever you feel like showing your wife some appreciation.

Another way to make your wife happy is to share household chores.

Especially if it’s not something you typically do. Doing a load of laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming the house, and tidying up can take a lot of pressure off of your wife.

You’d be surprised at how little effort it takes to make your wife happy.

Sometimes, what she needs is some time for self-care, especially if she works full-time. Working at work and then coming home to do more work is exhausting.

If she likes to just be home alone, take the kids out for the day so she can do whatever she wants at home. If she likes to go out to shop, get her nails done, or spend time with her friends, encourage her to do so.

Let her know that you’ve got the kids and the house under control.

And then don’t call her while she’s out unless it’s important. This demonstrates that not only do you respect her time and wishes, but you are capable of handling everyday things, too.

How can I make my angry wife laugh?

An angry wife will not suddenly lighten her mood until the issues creating the anger are dealt with. Ask her how you can help, listen without justifying anything critical she says, and help her work through the anger and release it.

But also resist the urge to immediately “fix” whatever she says is wrong. She may mostly just want to feel heard.

If she’s angry because she doesn’t feel heard or respected, start by letting her know you hear her. Let her know that you respect her by hearing out why she’s angry in the first place.

If she’s frustrated that she’s been working all day and the dishes still need to be done, wash the dishes while she does something she wants to do.

Then crack your jokes.

You know your wife better than anyone else. You know the kinds of things that make her laugh. Is it a silly dance you do or a silly song you sing? If you’re a dad, you have tons of dad jokes. I know you do.

First, try to work with her to fix whatever it is that makes her angry, particularly if it is something you have control over.

But don’t accept abuse. If she is angry and throwing personal attacks, remove yourself from the situation. Keep calm, and simply don’t engage.

If your wife is excessively angry, there could be a deeper issue there. Many couples argue without getting angry or personal.

If you find that your wife is regularly angry, this recent article discusses why your wife may be angry. There I also talk about ways to help improve your relationship and get to the root of the anger.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Final thoughts

Laughter is an essential part of life and marriage.

People change as they age, and as the years go by, relationships can change as well. Knowing what makes your wife happy is a good way to bring back the laughter.

But sometimes, she may just need some space. This isn’t a bad thing. A weekend away with a friend or a date night with you can bring back some of that joy you feel may be missing.

An important takeaway is to listen to your wife and appreciate her for who and what she is. The rest will follow.



 
Jeff Campbell
Latest posts by Jeff Campbell (see all)