After the hoopla of the holidays has finally come and gone, some folks may get rather cranky watching the snow pile up or the clouds hang low in the sky keeping landscapes a depressing shade of misty gray for days at a time. Cabin fever after the over-cheery holidays can be brutal.
It may not surprise you to hear that divorce rates spike during January -- along with activity for online dating sites. Holiday cheer can only do so much to keep an unhappy couple together.
If you are feeling the chill, metaphorically or relationally, and want to protect your own romantic relationship, there are a couple of surprising indoor activities – and I mean “G-rated activities” – research shows will help: Shared reading or binge watching favorite shows together.
Yep, binge watching your favorite shows together improves relationship satisfaction.
This is especially true if a couple is unable to spend much time out and about socializing together as a couple or when their families don’t live nearby.
Engaging in mutual activities that allow the couple to feel like they are in familiar territory is great for a couple’s well-being --- whether you’re rubbing elbows with the Sopranos, the Underwoods, or the Gilmore Girls.
As you immerse yourselves in the stories on the screen or on the page, you’re creating shared space and shared experiences where a sense of identity as a couple can flourish. Pick out a season or two of your favorite show or your favorite novel and begin a little bit of preventive maintenance to avoid the January hazards to relationships.
I’m Suzanne Degges-White, and that’s my Perspective
