The expression ‘Happy Wife Happy Life’ brings up images of old-fashioned housewives but there is still some truth to this saying. Some studies have shown that the overall level of happiness of a woman has a greater impact on the level of marital satisfaction for the couple compared to the impact of the husband’s overall level of happiness.
Why Is Happy Wife Happy Life Such an Accurate Expression?
Women take on many roles in a marriage. A woman who is happier about her life in general will have more to give back to the marriage. Feeling dissatisfied with life or unhappy about her marriage can cause a woman to disengage from a relationship and to stop putting efforts into making a home.
What Is Marital Satisfaction?
People get married for a number of reasons, including getting companionship and building something with another person. Everyone has different needs and expectations from a marriage. A relationship that fulfills these expectations will bring the person a high level of marital satisfaction.
How Are Overall Happiness and Marital Happiness Related?
It is possible to be happy with life in general while reporting a fairly low level of marital happiness. People in this situation are able to find fulfillment outside of their marriage, for instance with their career or with personal development. However, marital happiness is often closely tied to overall satisfaction with life since marriage is usually an important part of one’s life.
Why Do People Become Unhappy with Their Marriage?
Couples usually become dissatisfied with their marriage because the relationship does not meet their needs. They might wish for more companionship, more intimacy, more time with their spouse or for something else. It is possible for one spouse to be perfectly happy with the marriage while the other one is not since everyone has different needs and expectations.
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What Should You Do If Your Marriage No Longer Makes You Happy?
It is important to acknowledge the problem and to look for a solution. You and your spouse should talk about the marriage and clearly express what you need and expect from the relationship. Ideally, you and your spouse should have regular talks about the marriage and look for new things you can do to build a marriage that brings you both satisfaction.
What Are Some Signs That You Need to Work On Your Marriage?
Think about the expression ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life.’ What is your spouse’s attitude towards you and life in general? If you get the impression that they are not a happy person, it might be time to talk about your marriage and to make a few changes. You should also ask yourself how you feel about the marriage and what you can do to endeavor to meet your needs as well.
You will find that life together is a lot more satisfying when both spouses actively work on building a happy relationship. You can start talking about this with your spouse now.
If this doesn’t work the best, you can get in touch with a marriage friendly counselor, therapist or coach. Often couples are too close to their own situation to get the perspective needed to work through differences.
Waverly Hanson
Marriage Counselor & Author
In my personal life, I have had a long successful marriage and have remarried following my husband's death. I have had three sons and helped raise a niece for three years and have seven grandchildren. I have loved spending time with them as they were growing up.
I also enjoy getting together with family and friends, ATVing in the mountains, photography, hiking, and traveling. I also enjoy reading, creating art, decorating, and serving others by volunteering.
Assisting couples in rebuilding their marriages has been so rewarding as I've had the privilege of seeing hundreds of couples reunite and get back to being positively connected to one another.
I also work with personal development and those who want to move forward by making positive improvements such as goal setting, self-care, boundaries, behavioral improvements, overcoming procrastination, conflict management, etc.