Men who kiss their wives before work live 5 years longer. Here's why.
In the 1980s, a German study led by Dr. Arthur Szabo revealed a fascinating correlation:
Men who kissed their wives each morning before leaving for work lived, on average, five years longer than those who didn't.
Beyond longevity, these men also experienced fewer car accidents and higher incomes.
Yeah…
Pretty wild, right?
And interestingly, The Harvard Study of Adult Development - an 85+ year longitudinal study tracking the lives of hundreds of men (and later, their families) - found one resounding conclusion:
“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Full stop.” – Dr. Robert Waldinger, current director of the study
The quality of your close relationships - especially your romantic partnership - was the strongest predictor of long-term health and life satisfaction.
Yup, people who were more socially connected to family, friends, and community were happier, physically healthier, and lived longer than those who weren’t (that’s why the Spanish live so long despite drinking and smoking a lot. Seriously, living in Spain showed me some of the happiest and oldest binge drinkers and chain smokers because they were surrounded by community, love, and laughter).
Interestingly, emotional connection in romantic partnerships at age 50 was a better predictor of physical health at age 80 than cholesterol levels.
So, in other words: intimacy protects both your heart and your body.
Now when it comes to your love life, we know that romantic relationships do more than just feel nice and loving - they literally keep us healthy:
Stress reduction: Being in a committed relationship is linked to lower cortisol levels, indicating reduced stress.
Heart health: Strong emotional bonds lead to improved cardiovascular health, lowering the risk of heart disease.
Immune function: Physical affection and emotional closeness can boost the immune system, enhancing our ability to fight off illnesses.
Longevity: Individuals with robust social connections have a higher likelihood of survival, emphasizing the life-extending benefits of healthy relationships.
Meanwhile, on the flip side, if you’re neglecting your romantic relationships, you’re neglecting your health:
Increased mortality: Lack of social connections is associated with higher mortality rates.
Mental health decline: Isolation can lead to increased rates of depression and anxiety.
Weakened immunity: Chronic loneliness can impair immune function, making the body more susceptible to diseases.
SO what is my point with all of this?
YOU not investing into your love life - into your relationship -
Is a pretty shortsighted decision.
It’s hindering your life expectancy.
It’s affecting your health.
And it’s probably going to lead you to grow apart from your spouse and have a painful divorce down the line.
I really cannot see a single good reason to NOT invest into this area of your life.
Now, if you’ve made it this far into this article you likely are one of the smart ones who does plan to invest - or is already investing into your relationship.
Well done. You’re doing awesome 🙂
You might be wondering, then, what you can do to become one of those people who has a delicious romantic kissing session with your partner before work - because that feels like quite a big ask, right?
You’re busy and tired, have a lot of work to do, and not enough time.
Plus it would feel awkward to randomly start that now.
Well, I hear you.
Love and romance aren’t something you can just turn on like a switch - I get that.
Especially if there are years of resentment and disconnect being built up.
But you can start to dismantle and overcome those blocks bit by bit, and start to reconnect with the essence of your connection and what is really there.
And with that, you can start to discern whether you’re still compatible for each other and how to create more love, intimacy, trust and connection - and freedom.
You just need a bit of a process and system to tackle this.
Which is precisely what I can help you with!
In my 90 day program and methodology, I will help you:
Get clarity on what’s blocking you and your connection (and why you've stopped kissing)
Overcome that block at a root cause level - so it’s gone for good (hint: it'll be deeper than what you're aware of)
Get really clear on what you need to be happy long term and what that looks like in your relationship (most people have no clue)
Build and apply healthy science backed strategies to getting these needs met.
If this resonates with you, drop me a DM today.
We’ll chat a bit here, and then I may invite you to a call to meet and greet.
