Issue Date: December 31, 2006
Robust relationships
Wedded folks feel more fulfilled.
By Dr. Tedd Mitchell
With the new year upon us, why not resolve to make your marriage the best that it can be? Studies show it's even healthy for you.
Romantic relationships add to a person's overall happiness.
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In a 2005 issue of the "Journal of Social and Personal Relationships," Cornell and Penn State University researchers showed that, compared with singles and non-married couples, married folks had the highest rate of well-being and life satisfaction. What's more, the trend held even for those who didn't report being happily married.
The study involved nearly 700 adults who were surveyed in the 1990s. Ultimately, researchers concluded that romantic relationships add to a person's overall sense of happiness and fulfillment. The results also suggested that the increased sense of well-being among those who were not happily married may stem from the stability or even the social status associated with marriage.
So, how can you keep the home fires burning throughout 2007? Just remember CUPID:
Cuddle. Holding hands, stroking hair or giving a relaxing shoulder rub reminds your loved one she's special.
Understand your partner. Pay attention to his needs.
Play. Have fun with the one you love. Be physically active together, and don't always do the same things.
Ignite your passion. Don't let intimacy slip away with the years. Bookstores are filled with helpful tomes on the topic.
Date. Be sure that you make time every week to leave the house together and go someplace where the two of you are able to reconnect.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and medical director of Dallas' Cooper Clinic, writes HealthSmart every week.
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