10 Powerful ways to apologize to your partner when you’ve really messed up things

6. Say it with emotion

When a woman feels hurt, the emotions associated with that hurt get attached to the memory of that event. When something reminds her of the event, the hurt has a way of returning full force, as if the event just happened again. When you say “I’m sorry” to her, try to do so in a way that has some emotion attached to it.

Note: Using humor is NOT always a good choice here. She needs to see in your face and hear in your voice (as well as through your words) that you fully understand that you hurt her, you take responsibility for it, and your hope is that you can repair the damage you’ve done.