1. Take Responsibility
Yes, we know it's tough to admit when you've done something wrong, but if you plan on having sex with her any time in the near future, you need to swallow your pride. “Most men are afraid if they acknowledge they were in the wrong, it's a sign that they are being weak and giving up power in the relationship,” says psychologist Dr Brenda Shoshanna, author of Zen and the Art of Falling in Love. “But women won't see it that way. They're more likely to get over it if you just own up to your mistake.” So as much as it pains you to lose, step up to the plate and say, “You're right, I blew it. I'm sorry.” Think about it: is it really worth the argument?

2. Put The Jokes On Hold
Although you're probably used to falling back on your charming sense of humour to diffuse her bad moods, if she's really fuming, she's not looking for a laugh. “When you crack jokes, it diminishes the importance of what she's saying,” says Eve Hogan, author of Intellectual Foreplay.

So rather than tickle her into submission, or give her the, “Come on, Baby, don't be like that” line, show her you're taking her seriously by looking her in the eye and expressing genuine remorse. Save the cute stuff for when she has calmed down.

3 .Let Her Vent
In a perfect world, you'd say sorry, she'd tell you it's OK, and you'd race each other to the bedroom for mind-blowing make-up sex. But in a real-life relationship, she's going to want to vent. “Women process things aloud,” says Hogan. “She needs to verbalise her feelings and let them out in order to get over it.”

If you shut her down before she's said her piece, you're just going to fuel the fire. So be a good boy and let her go off for a bit. Of course, if her ranting veers into the irrational, it's all right to set her straight. Shoshanna suggests you wait for a lull then say, “There's really no need to go on and on about his. If you want to work this out, you have to stop punishing me.” This should snap her out of her shouting spree pretty quick.

4. Let Her Know You Get It
Does your girlfriend have a tendency to rehash an argument weeks after it happened? Well, that's the way it goes. She'll keep repeating herself if she thinks you didn't hear her the first time around. “She needs to know you understand why what you did was wrong, so you don't make the same mistake again,” advises Shoshanna.

To ease her fears once and for all, let her know exactly how you're going to fix the problem. “Underneath all of her anger is hurt and doubt, so you need to reassure her that she can still trust you,” points out Hogan. And telling her it will never happen again just isn't good enough. Instead, try something like, “I know it was really inconsiderate of me to pass out in the middle of sex last night. In the future, I promise not to drink so much.” Well, you get the idea.