What does it take to create a happy marriage? There are so many different parts that work in unison to keep a good relationship hum. We all know the big ones: Love. Trust. Hard work. Commitment. Understanding. A good sense of humor. However, a new paper by researchers at the University of Rochester that was published in the
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science reviewed 174 different studies and found that all happy marriages have one big trait in common: Psychological flexibility.
Great. But, what exactly, is psychological flexibility?
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“Psychological flexibility is one of the most essential and valuable skills that you can take with you in your life,” says Katie Ziskind, a marriage and family therapist in Connecticut, who runs Wisdom Within Counseling. “It is about being easy going, using acceptance, and choosing to think on the bright side despite what changes have to happen.”