Happy marriages are the best stress busters

Happy marriages are the best stress busters

Updated: 2007-03-23 16:39

A visit to a Spa or massage parlor may seem like a good solution to bust stress, but researchers have now found that instead of spending big bucks on these luxuries the key to combating stress is a happy marriage.
Research shows that being in a loving relationship makes it easier to cope with the stresses and strains of working life.

Contrary to the popular perception that single people have a carefree lifestyle, it is those who are in long-term relationships who are most laid back.

Psychologist Dr Roxane Gervais monitored the stress levels of more than 400 nurses working in Yorkshire hospitals.

She found that those who were married, or in a steady relationship, were least affected by the strains of the job. 

Single people and those who were widowed felt stress more keenly, while those who were divorced were the least relaxed of all, the British Psychological Society's annual conference in York heard.
It is thought that married people benefit from simply being able to talk through their day with someone after work. 

Such support may be particularly valuable in occupations such as nursing, in which emotions have to be suppressed during working hours.

Dr Gervais said: "When a patient dies, a nurse can't show any emotion. If there is a crisis, they get all the flak from the public and have to hold it in. They don't really have an outlet at work but when they get home, they do have an outlet."

She added that those looking for ways to reduce workplace stress may be better off focusing on the needs of single workers, rather than those who were married or had children.

This could be because people who are married take better care of themselves, perhaps because they feel they have more to live for.