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Marriage and happiness should in an idyllic world, spoken in happy unison. However,<\/span> despite the best intentions, happiness in marriage can sometimes be at an all-time low, due to a partner’s inability to see ways to operate as an individual identity<\/b>, separate from their marriage. Often notions attached with a happy relationship, marriage and happiness or <\/span>love are dictated by fiction<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Where to create your own happiness, you have to find a soulmate, <\/span>putting your partner first<\/span><\/a> and stay connected to each other across the day, in love devoid of any outside linkages, professing affection, and looking at each other with cheesy heart eyes, all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n That sounds romantic but in reality, is a tunned vision of marriage and happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n About twenty years ago, a <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> was done in Northern Michigan with individuals in unhappy marriages.<\/span><\/p>\n The researchers interviewed these individuals twice over the course of five years.<\/span><\/p>\n The first interview quantified the levels of perceived <\/span>unhappiness in the marriage<\/span><\/a>. The follow-up study investigated whether these same individuals, assuming they had stayed with their spouse over the five-year gap, were any happier than when first studied.<\/span><\/p>\n The researchers found that these spouses were, in fact, happier (although, actually, the finding was that the subjects were “less unhappy.”)<\/span><\/p>\n Why?<\/span><\/p>\n Because the spouses found things outside the marriage like friendships, hobbies, health pursuits<\/b> to occupy them and bring them a greater sense of well-being, <\/span>independent of their marriage<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n When I work with couples, I ask them to identify things outside their marriage that would make them happier.<\/span><\/p>\n How to be happy in a relationship?<\/span><\/p>\n Individuals that find happiness outside their marriage are likely to be more forgiving in their marriages and bring a positive outlook to the relationship.<\/b><\/p>\n Marriage and happiness can co-exist only if there is a healthy companionship, that has space for personal boundaries and respect for each other’s need for downtime alone.<\/span><\/p>\n Some of the activities that these clients report as contributing to their sense of happiness are things like these.<\/span><\/p>\n Investing time in friendships, <\/b>bonding with family members<\/b><\/a> or colleagues gives spouses a break from one another<\/b> and promotes a sense of healthy space in a relationship. This is a crucial piece of advice for couples who want marriage and happiness to prevail in their partnership.<\/span><\/p>\n It is unreasonable to expect your spouse to be your sounding board, best friend, and entire support network all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Getting into better shape and having good nutrition<\/b><\/p>\n Being physically fit and healthy can go a long way in maintaining the equilibrium between marriage and happiness.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It leads to a greater sense of physical intimacy, improved levels of self-confidence, and a <\/span>better mood due to the release of endorphins<\/span><\/a>. So, keep your marriage in shape by working out, eating a balanced, <\/span>nutritious diet<\/span><\/a>, and staying healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Learning how to meditate and do yoga<\/b><\/p>\n Meditation and yoga help you achieve a sense of calm and composure.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Much required to get a handle on everyday stressors, and attain a <\/span>work-life balance<\/span><\/a>, it stands to reason that marriage and happiness will also benefit by leaps and bounds by such a simple inclusion in your routine.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Developing a spiritual practice<\/b><\/p>\n Any form of spiritual practice will be enhancing the feeling of helping others, being kind, compassionate, and practicing discipline. <\/b>It is not difficult to see why it will have a spillover calming effect on marriage and happiness, in general.<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Volunteering<\/b><\/p>\n Maximize the social good by helping the underprivileged, and feel a sense of purposefulness and tons of <\/span>benefits in your life<\/span><\/a>. When you are feeling a sense of fulfillment and long-lasting peace it is not easy to wreck marriage and happiness, or any other significant aspect of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Keeping a gratitude journal<\/b><\/p>\n Life can throw you some curveballs at any given time, but no matter how tough it gets, a <\/span>gratitude journal<\/span><\/a> is an empowering tool to keep track of the good things in life. Writing in a gratitude journal will have a greater impact on your marriage and happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n This can be summed as a recipe for a happy marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n However, a glaring sign that partners are not taking responsibility for their own happiness is when they are jealous of their partners’ engaging in activities that bring them happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n Also watch:<\/span><\/span>The route to finding happiness in marriage<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>We are all responsible for our own happiness<\/span><\/h2>\n
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