Want to know the secret for keeping your relationship or marriage in good health? A new study on marital satisfaction by the National Bureau of Economic Research gives us a hint.
Many studies have shown that married people, both gay and straight, have fewer health problems over the life span if they were in an emotionally committed relationship most of their lives. But many couples naturally wonder about the secret to keeping their relationship or marriage in a good place. It is quite possible to stay in an emotionally committed relationship forever, yet still be miserable.
This latest study looked for the unique qualities of the couples who report being satisfied about their marriage. The common denominator for those couples?
*They constantly work to keep their friendship vibrant and fun.*
"We explore friendship as a mechanism which could help explain a causal relationship between marriage and life satisfaction, and find that well-being effects of marriage are about twice as large for those whose spouse is also their best friend," the study by Helliwell and Grover said.
What kind of grade would you give yourself if asked about your effort toward maintaining a great friendship with your spouse? Do you both plan a regular date night, and stick to it? Do you share aloud those things you admire about one another? Do you approach one another with an air of curiosity, still asking friendly questions about your spouse's history and future hopes? These were all the things you started doing when you began dating. Those are the simple things to start doing today if you want to turn the friendship back on.