Want to Be Happier? Start with Your Marriage

According to Brad Wilcox, being happy in our marriage makes us five times more likely to be happy in life—an impact much greater than our education, finances, or job.

For those of us in a marriage, it is the most important thing driving our life experience.

That's why it's worth talking about.

That massive impact can swing either way - for good or ill. Marital dissatisfaction drives depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, but marital satisfaction can even deactivate genes related to mental health problems and affect the heritability of those same genes.

Our marriages affect our kids. The more satisfied the dad is, the more the children’s anxiety decreases. The more satisfied the mom is, the more the children’s depression tends to decrease.

The research suggests that your marriage is the place to look if you want more happiness for yourself and your kids.