It can pretty much be stated as fact that everyone is happy in the beginning of a relationship. The beginning is when you’re still showcasing only the best side of yourself, aka the side that is super low-maintenance and easygoing and yet always manages to look perfect, too. The first few weeks, or months even, of a relationship are blissful, and if they aren’t, you should run while you still can because it’s only downhill after that time period expires. Once the honeymoon phase clouds over with reality, the person’s real personality starts to become more important. It’s amazing what you notice about someone when you’re not having sex with them every six hours or so. Suddenly, the fact that he is actually really moody and sullen can be less sexy and more irritating. The hot bad boy that you brought home can transition from being dangerously exciting to just dangerously bad for your wellbeing — literally.
According to a new study published by the American Psychological Association, research has been uncovered that having a happy spouse can actually make you a physically healthier human being. Now, in terms of strictly mental happiness at least, it seems pretty obvious that if your partner is happy, that sunshiney attitude will rub off on you as well. And on the flip side, it’s pretty hard to be a cheerful person when all your boyfriend can talk about is how much he hates everything. That’s not big news. But as it turns out, more than just your mental health can be affected by being in a relationship with a positive person versus a negative one.
The principal investigator of the study and assistant professor at Michigan State University, Dr. William Chopik, suggests that there are three main reasons why being with a happy person can make you healthier. The first is that having a happy partner makes it more likely that you’ll receive stronger social support in the relationship. Apparently, being with someone who can focus on you instead of their own issues improves your health because they have the capacity to take care of you and not just themselves. So, if he’s an upbeat guy, there’s basically no reason he shouldn’t treat you like a princess.
Another theory suggests that if your partner is happy, they can get you involved in the stuff that makes them happy and healthy in the first place, like exercising and eating right. I find it very, very hard to believe that any man has ever succeeded in making a woman happier by telling her to jog or go on a diet, but I digress. The final reason is the idea that being with someone who is happy should, at the very least, make your life easier and simpler. That one I totally stand by. Happy wife, happy life, right?
At the end of the day, dating someone who’s happy in general seems to be the right way to go. So the next time you think about chatting up that bad boy at the bar, maybe give the one with the goofy grin your number instead..
[via Science Daily, Elite Daily]
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Shannon Layne
My favorite things are tiaras, compliments, and free drinks, which are becoming harder to come by the more I tend to show up at the bar in sweat pants. The proudest moment of my life so far has been landing an actual, paying job that allows me to Facebook stalk people for a living. I tweet about my mom way too often, who is constantly trying to remind me that I'm not nearly as cool as I think I am. Please send me funny stories to read at work here: shannon.laynee@yahoo.com
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