Love and marriage are keys for health and happiness
Bottom Line: If you’ve been on the fence about tying the knot – this story is for you. One of the arguments for remaining single or at least not fully committed – is stress. As the thought goes, getting married is stressful and making marriage work is hard. So, remaining single or in a not fully committed relationship in theory provides less stress and aggravation. Except that a study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh suggests that’s not usually the case.
In a study measuring stress levels of nearly 600 adults between the ages of 21 and 55, researchers noticed a meaningful trend. The stress hormone cortisol was consistently lower in adults who were married, regardless of gender. In the study researchers also found married adults were quicker to lower stress levels when they spike. Given that stress is the number one factor in determining how long the average person lives, it also illustrates why married adults often live longer as well. In fact, about every aspect of one’s health is improved with lower stress levels.
When reading through this research the intro to Married with Children came to mind because for most people love and marriage is the best path forward for their health. But in reality, the better sitcom would be something along the lines of Everyone Loves Raymond. The grass really isn’t greener for most being alone, even when it might appear.
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