Living with your romantic partner? Don’t take them for granted.
Rather than lavish your partner with jewelry, flowers or an expensive gift to celebrate Valentine’s Day, give something that would be equally—and perhaps—even more appreciated by your significant other, especially if they tend to take on more of the household chores: a gift of gratitude.
A heartfelt thank you can go a long way, at least according to a new University of Michigan study. People feel less satisfied with their relationships in the moment and become less satisfied over time when they report doing more than their fair share of household chores. Those negative feelings, however, disappear when they feel appreciated by their partners.
The compliments also result in another benefit.
“Feeling appreciated also appeared to buffer against the negative effects of doing less, suggesting that feeling appreciated may offset the relational costs of unequal division of labor, regardless of who contributes more,” said Amie Gordon, assistant professor of psychology and the study’s lead author.
Read the full article at Michigan News.
