It might sound like an obvious relationship goal, but being genuinely happy for your partner is a pretty important step in building a successful relationship.
Whether it’s sharing new of that job promotion, getting a personal best during your training or simply achieving a little milestone, it’s natural to want to feel their support.
A new study has now pinpointed that your partner feeling the same sense of excitement or happiness as you when relaying personal news as the most important ingredient to a long and happy relationship.
A study published in the journal, Human Brain Mapping, surveyed the brain signals of 14 women with an average age of 72 years old. The women had been married for an average of 40 years.
Researchers showed the women silent videos with mislabelled titles. The women would believe they were about to watch their husbands or a stranger speaking about their first car or a work incident, but were were then shown a video where their husband spoke about memories of their wedding day.
The study found that when the wives saw the unexpected positive reaction from their husbands they experienced a spike in brain activity.
Interestingly, when a woman was shown a video of their husband or a stranger recalling a sad memory, the women’s brain activity actively remained unaffected.
While it might appear that the women were unaffected by their partner’s pain, the study proved that those who disassociated themselves from the negative reactions had happier relationships.
The study indicates that women who could feel the same levels of happiness and support for a spouse in positive memories were more able to help a partner rationalise feelings of hurt and upset, meaning both parties felt more supported.
The study concludes that if you and your partner are emotionally interdependent but supportive of one another, you’re more likely to have a longer lasting relationship.
Speaking about the results, Dr Duana Welch told the Mail Online:
“Many of us tend to think we choose partners who help us work on our issues, and of course, that’s part of what happens in good relationships, but science increasingly shows that we choose one another for how good they make us feel.”
So if you want to give your relationship the best chance at a long-lasting love, make sure to celebrate those wins.
Remember, it’s the little things that count.
H/T Brit + Co
