Partner

Maintaining a Healthy and Happy Relationship With Your Partner
Planning a wedding with your partner can be daunting. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make sure you don’t drive each other absolutely bonkers.

Planning a wedding with your partner can be daunting. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make sure you don’t drive each other absolutely bonkers.

The decision to get married can be a very exciting one. You and your partner are in for a lifetime of adventure together once you have gotten engaged. Of course, you also need to make sure you focus on specific aspects of your relationship. Planning a wedding can put a lot of pressure on you both, and it is very common for most couples to get into a few spats throughout the process. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make sure you don’t drive each other absolutely bonkers.

Taking time to appreciate your significant other is vital to maintaining a happy and healthy relationship. To prepare for what’s in store and be ready for anything, look over these simple ways to keep yourselves sane and working as a unit.

Spend Time Together

This might not come as a huge surprise to anyone, but spending quality time with your significant other is a fantastic way to reinforce your relationship. Unfortunately, plenty of couples make the mistake of thinking any time together is good. While it might be nice to get together to plan for your future wedding, you also need to focus on other activities in order to keep your connection alive in more exciting ways. Only spending time together writing out invitations or communicating with vendors can easily become a bore.

The best way to be together is by making time for each other. Set a little bit of time each week aside to do fun couples activities. This can be anything from cozying up on the couch for binging a bit of Netflix, to cooking and enjoying a meal together, to taking a stroll through the neighborhood and having a leisurely conversation. No matter what you do, try and make sure you aren’t focused on wedding details. Leave that for another day and concentrate on the relationship that led to the engagement in the first place.

Spend Time Apart

It is true that spending quality time with your significant other is a great way to strengthen your connection, but there are instances when you are going to need to do the exact opposite. Spending too much time with your partner can easily have a negative impact. You don’t want to constantly be breathing down each other’s necks, so you may want to practice getting involved with people outside of the relationship.

According to experts, the happiest couples are those who have their own lives away from their partner. You and your partner both want to have your own friends, for example. These can be friends from childhood or people you have met along the way. Both you and your significant other should have trustworthy friends and confidants to turn to when you need to vent, decompress, or recharge.

Put In the Effort

It might be taxing to plan for a wedding, but you can’t let your exhaustion be an excuse for not putting in the effort in your relationship. No matter how tired you are or how many tasks you need to complete before the deadlines arrive, it is crucial for you to make time for your partner in the right ways. When you remember basic household tasks like making dinner, cleaning the bathroom, or even making the bed in the morning, it can do wonders to keep your love alive.

Though putting together your dream wedding might require a lot of effort, you still need to keep the home fires burning with your significant other. Learn how to make time for each other and put it to good use to keep your connection as strong as it has always been.

 

Reduce the Risk of Divorce
New marriages risk ending in divorce.

New marriages risk ending in divorce.

If you’re thinking about marriage, you’re probably already in love and spent a long time wondering if you can really spend the rest of your life with the person you care about. No one goes into a marriage thinking about a divorce, but the statistics show that about 48 percent of Canadian marriages won’t last. In comparison, the divorce rate in the United States is about 53 percent, while Belgium holds the highest rate of 71 percent. At 15 percent, Mexico has the lowest divorce rate, internationally. Instead of moving to Mexico to protect your marriage against divorce, learn more about the research behind what makes a marriage last.

It’s About Education

The Pew Research Center, a fact tank in the United States, recently found that having a bachelor’s degree significantly increased a woman’s chance of staying married for more than 20 years. Women with some college or only a high school degree had a probability of 49 percent or lower of maintaining their marriage, while those who completed their degree had a 78 percent chance of staying married for more than two decades. The couples who were part of the study had either separated or divorced. Death was not calculated in this research.

Similar findings were found with men. Two-thirds of the men who held a bachelor’s degree were found to be married after 20 years, while only about 50 percent of the men with a high school diploma held that distinction. Hispanic men had higher marriage longevity rates over white men and black men. It was Asian women who had the best chance of staying together with their partner.

This particular study does not examine why a college education makes divorce less likely. However, having a bachelor’s degree certainly makes a person more employable, which leads to financial security. When a couple isn’t financially stressed, their marriage has a better chance of making it through the long haul. Another benefit of having a degree is that the couple is probably older. Both have had a chance to create experiences outside of their family unit. This can give someone confidence when choosing their partner. Interestingly, this study does not address faith or religion in marriage.

More Siblings Could Be Another Indicator

Another study from 2013 links the number of siblings one has to a lower chance of getting divorced. It’s a small percentage, just two percent for each sister or brother one has. Although this is just one factor involved, some researchers aren’t convinced about this theory. Whether it’s scientifically proven or not, consider that someone who comes from a large family may be more family-oriented. In addition, they have developed social skills that are needed to live very close to someone as you might in a marriage.

Find an Educated Partner

Another interesting finding in the Pew Study was that cohabitation did not increase the chance of a marriage lasting. Men and women who did not live together before they got married were more likely to divorce or separate. However, being engaged while cohabiting did increase the odds of staying together, especially with men. Couples who do not live together before marriage may be predisposed against divorce, which could be reason for this. Unfortunately, the study did not address other factors in why couples stayed together.

It might seem cold and calculated to consider your partner’s education or background when considering marriage. Consider the expense of a divorce five or 10 years down the road. If you want your marriage to work, you need to give it the best odds. Go ahead and finish your college education before the wedding. It will put you and your future spouse on the right path to success in your partnership.