Evin Richardson, assistant research scientist in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, spoke with Futurity about how mindfulness keeps relationships strong.
Researchers surveyed more than 400 couples with children who were receiving government services such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food assistance. The survey asked about their confidence in their relationship and the level of mindfulness each partner showed.
Based on the survey, couples who displayed more mindfulness were also more certain that their relationship would stay strong during hard times.
“Do you have the ability to develop and maintain a healthy relationship, to deal with conflict in healthy ways? If you are more mindful and more present in your relationship, you’re more likely to feel like you have the skills needed to manage issues that arise in your relationship,” Richardson said.
Both men and women reported that the more confident they felt in maintaining their relationship, the higher their relationship quality.