Searching for happiness in your relationship? Scientists have spent decades researching what makes stable, satisfying relationships and we have the answers! Whether you are looking to strengthen your marriage or feel good about your current situation, these 20 characteristics all contribute to the happiest relationships.
Debating about having children? It turns out that couples without children have happier marriages. The research project by the Open University studied 5,000 people of all ages, statuses, and sexual orientations. They discovered that childless couples were more satisfied with their relationship
In a 2012 Florida State University study, it was found that couples who are openly “angry but honest” at the beginning of their relationship were actually happier in the long term.
If a “firstborn” marries a “lastborn,” the odds are in their favor. The University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany studied 3,000 families and realized there is a relationship benefit when opposites attract in terms of birth order.
In heterosexual relationships, couples were more satisfied if they had a feminist partner. A 2007 Rutgers University study of more than 500 people found that both men and women benefited from having a feminist partner.
Small acts of kindness are essential in a healthy and happy relationship. In a study from the Open University, it was shown that people feel the most valued in their relationship when their partners provide small acts of kindness.
You might just be the sum of your five closest relationships. It turns out that you are 75 percent more likely to get divorced if one of your close friends or relatives has gone through a divorce. If a friend of a friend has had a divorce, you are 33 percent more likely to get one too.
When men viewed their wife as more attractive, it benefited both people in the relationship. Men were happier overall and more likely to care about their partner’s needs, which resulted in their partner being happier too!
There have been several studies that indicate marriage, as a whole, is beneficial for happiness, but having your spouse be a friend has been shown to be even more beneficial.
Despite the fact that opposites attract, the happiest couples tend to spend money in a similar way. Researchers found that when it comes to money, many people tend to gravitate towards their “money opposite.”
In fact, the increase in happiness was comparable to the happiness someone might experience from making an extra $50,000 a year. The takeaway? Have sex with your partner at least once a week.