How strong is YOUR relationship? UK couples reveal the 25 things that keep them happy after more than a decade
While a lack of intimacy can be the catalyst behind many marital arguments, a new study has finally put the debate to bed.
According to 2,000 British couples who have been together for ten years or more, seven is the magic number.
While scheduling sex into your calendar may seem like a surefire way to kill the lingering spark, being intimate seven times a month could be the secret to a happily ever after.
But if you think the path to long-lasting love is through grand romantic gestures, think again. More than half of married Brits just want their partner to admit they’re wrong.
A new study has revealed the path to a happily ever after, and most Brits just want their partner to admit they’re wrong
The new research, carried out to launch drama Love & Death on ITVX, revealed a host of secrets to a happy long-term relationship.
A full 43 percent of couples agreed that having no secrets is the secret to a happy marriage, while 41 percent said they shared a similar sense of humor and 31 percent said they never sleep over arguments.
On a more mundane note, more than a quarter (26 percent) of long-term couples surveyed said a 50/50 split of household labor was essential to keeping things amicable.
Being able to make fun of each other (42 percent), not trying to change each other (36 percent) and having an open phone policy (10 percent) are all on the list.
Nearly half (44 percent) of British couples surveyed claim they are very happy in their relationship, while a further 29 percent say they are generally happy.
When it comes to knowing you’ve found the one, 19 percent admit they swooned on the first date, while a more practical 46 percent said it took a few months before they made a decision.
According to happily married couples who have been together for ten years or more, you should never go to sleep arguing
And the research found that one year and five months is the average time to start moving in together, to ensure a successful long-term relationship.
The study also found that the honeymoon period ends after about nine months of being together.
A total of 48 percent of Brits believe they have found their soulmate, yet one in five (20 percent) admit to being unfaithful to their partner. Of these, no less than 58 percent were discovered by their partner.
Surprisingly, a forgiving 85 percent of couples who have experienced infidelity have managed to work it out together; 38 percent say an affair actually made their relationship stronger.
17 percent thought an affair was forgivable on the understanding that it would never happen again, while one in ten think infidelity does not mean you don’t love your partner.
They say opposites attract, but many of the couples surveyed valued the same things: 10 percent said liking the same takeaways was the key to a happy marriage and 20 percent said the secret was liking the same TV shows .