According to The New Zealand Herald, a new study says “getting irritated about the small things in life is just as bad for your health as eating a poor diet or failing to exercise.”

I see couples who stress out about things, large and small, in their relationships. People get upset about not having dirty clothes in the hamper, their partner not keeping their car neater/cleaner, how their partners spend their money, sex, and how they discipline the children.

I do a little tweaking to the well-known Serenity Prayer that when followed, can change a couple’s experience of stress in their relationship. It goes like this: God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; Courage to change the one I can; And the wisdom to know that person is me.

If couples were able to live this prayer, their stress levels would be lower, their satisfaction in their relationship higher, and according to this article, their mental health secured.

Read more…