How to Keep a Guy on His Toes in a Relationship

By: Kristen Moutria

IT Stock Free/Polka Dot/Getty Images

If you are dating a guy you truly enjoy being around, you most likely want to keep him interested without appearing too clingy. Although it is not a good idea to "play games" in your relationship, it is essential to learn how to be the best girlfriend you can be. Part of being a great partner is learning how to make your relationship exciting, and there is no better way to do this than by maintaining a little mystery and making sure your life involves more than just your lover. You can keep the guy you like on his toes by constantly making him wonder what you are going to do next.

Maintain Your Identity

Keeping your sense of self in a relationship is essential to keeping your guy interested. While you may be tempted to spend every evening with him relaxing in front of the television and cuddling, it is smarter to keep a few evenings to yourself. This will leave the guy you like longing to hang out with you even more, and unsure of what the next day will bring. To heighten the excitement in your relationship even more, invite your guy into your world, suggests Grant Langston, vice president for content and customer experience at eHarmony.com. Your guy will be thrilled if one day, you bring him to a concert featuring some of your favorite music.

Be Unreachable

Although your guy may appreciate it if you text him back 30 seconds after receiving the text message he sent you, you do not have to be constantly available to your boyfriend. While he should be able to reach you in case of an emergency, do not feel like you have to drop everything you are doing to get back to him, especially if you are at work or school. Being unreachable at times will keep your guy hooked without damaging your relationship. It will also reinforce the idea that although the two of you enjoy a close relationship, you want to maintain your own life.

Surprise Him

Surprise your guy by taking him on an unexpected date to an event he has been thinking about for some time. Perhaps he has anticipated a certain movie for months, and the midnight release is coming up soon. By showing up at his place and bringing him to the theater, you will keep him on his toes with all the surprises you have in store. He will thank you for such an unexpected and exciting experience, and you will nurture your relationship by doing something for him.

Move Slowly

Moving slowly in your relationship will keep the two of you from getting "burnt out" on each other. The rush of infatuation causes many couples to speed up their relationship without being objective about the odds of staying together, according to Susan Krauss Whitbourne, professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Keep that "love rush" alive by not moving in together before marriage, maintaining close relationships with your friends and family members, and making sure that your lives do not revolve around each other.