Love Science: These Simple Gestures Can Greatly Improve Your Relationship

I am gonna drink to this one. According to a study by the University of Buffalo, New York, couples who didn’t have similar drinking habits had higher divorce rates. Those who both didn’t drink at all or had matching drinking habits reported to having more satisfying relationships. So it’s about time couples developed similar drinking habits for their relationships to thrive.

Gratitude is the greatest bond. According to a study by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, “When couples express appreciation for each other then their oxytocin levels rise, helping develop trust and affection between two people.” Say ‘Thank you’. Appreciate one another whenever you get the chance to.

“How is your day going?” That just does it. It shows that you care about the other person so much that even when you are not together, you want to know they are doing OK. As Cooper Lawrence, Psychologist and media personality writes in one of his papers, happier couples do normally check up on one another. Send those texts. Give your spouse a call. It shows that they are always on your mind.

If you have beef with your spouse, have the courtesy to wait and talk about it face to face. Talking about serious issues via text or emails ends up hurting people more because for one, there is evidence of the whole fight that you keep referring to. Letting go becomes much harder. This is according to a study published in the journal Family Relations, in 2011. So chill out. Wait till you are together to do this. If you cant wait, then its better to pick up the phone and call.

Apparently exchanging letters and small notes makes couples happier, says a professor at Kent University who conducted a research on letter writing. Imagine getting that unexpected note with sweet nothings on it. I am happy just thinking about it.

The bond created when couples cook together is just amazing. The exchange of spices, the tasting of food together, the having to brush against the other person... What better way to build communication and closeness. As per the study by UCLA, couples who cook together are meant to stay together forever!

Apparently couples who try new stuff together have quality relationships according to a research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

When something great happens to your partner, be as enthusiastic about their victories as they are. And when they feel they haven’t done enough, encourage and reassure them. “…an enthusiastic response to your partner’s good news signifies commitment, contentment and love… an opposite reaction symbolises sadness and insecurity”, suggested experts from UCLA.

The digital era has affected so many relationships. People just cant seem to let their phones breath. What time is left to communicate with your spouse? Smartphones have ruined relationships. According to data collected on over 800,000 OkCupid users, people who spent a lot of time on social media sites had shorter relationships than those who did less of it.

It’s all in the frequency and attitude towards kissing. Kissing is such a plus in relationships. Researchers from the University of Oxford found that a lot of great kissing shows success and satisfaction in relationships.

As per a study by the University of Rochester, a study which was conducted over a period of 3 years, divorce rates reduced when couples watched movies based on love and romance together and discussed them afterwards.