The idea that couples have less stress in their lives seems a bit false. But luckily, there is an opinion that we can all trust. According to science, getting hitched might lower our cortisol levels.
So if you haven’t found the best stress reliever yet, you should consider this option. We will explore today if we can add another advantage to marriage.
Marriage Isn’t What We See In Beautiful Poems About Love
Some of the people who already have rings on their fingers may remember all the fights or difficulties they went through with their partner.
And if you try to think about how many of them are ahead, your stress level can instantly increase. So it may seem a bit strange to say that life after a wedding is less stressful.
But we can admit that there is also an ocean of fond memories and expectations. And it seems that these things win in the end.
It Seems It’s Easier To Cope With Anything If You Aren’t Alone
One group of researchers assumed that among married, single, and divorced or widowed people, the first group is better protected against stress.
To test this idea, the researchers collected saliva samples from 572 adults ages 21 to 55. They found that married people had the lowest level of cortisol, known to be the stress hormone.
This may mean that despite all the jokes married people make about how difficult their life is, they actually have to deal with less stress compared to single people.
The researchers noted that the highest level of cortisol was found among those who were married and had to deal with divorce or the death of their partner.
Also, the cortisol level changes during the day. It usually reaches its highest point by the time the person wakes up and continues to decline throughout the day.
The survey also compared the cortisol rhythms in the participants and found that married people showed a faster decline compared to other groups.
Remembering Balance
It goes without saying that stress does no good. Some sources link high cortisol levels and uneven cortisol rhythms to heart disease and even cancer.
Therefore, it is good to know that marriage can help a lot with this problem.
But it is also important to note that this conclusion is not a one-size-fits-all solution. There is no point in marrying the first person you meet or trying to save relationships that have no future in order to have less stress.
Such attempts are more likely to do more harm than good.
In your opinion, who seems less stressed: married or single? Can you confirm that the results of this study are true, for example personal?