Making your spouse a cup of coffee may be worth a lot more than you think. A study questioned almost 3,000 men and women on the level of generosity in their relationships, and researchers found that those subjects who exhibited the highest levels of generosity were also much more likely to call their married lives “very happy,” the New York Times reports. A generous act could be something as small as that aforementioned cup of coffee.
Generosity is especially important for couples with kids, it seems: Some 50% of parents who enjoyed above-average generosity in their marriages reported being “very happy,” while just 14% of those living with less generosity called themselves “very happy.” “Generosity is going above and beyond the ordinary expectations with small acts of service and making an extra effort to be affectionate,” says a researcher. An expert says members of the happiest couples have five positive interactions for every negative one. Click for more on how to have a happy marriage.
