5 BENEFITS OF BEING MARRIED

The modern-day youngster dreads the concept of marriage. The idea of being with one person for a whole lifetime fills most of us with anxiety. In this piece, we look at some of the positives of tying the knot. Let’s see if we can convince you.
Studies show that married people are, on average, happier. That doesn’t mean that every moment of a marriage is as joyful as the one before it. It just means that on balance, marriage has the potential to make you happier over the long term. While being single has its benefits, the need for companionship and the feeling of being part of something bigger than one’s own self are very strong biological needs.
Here are a few more benefits of being married.
1. You will always have a date
Yes, even when you don’t want one! If you’re married, gone are the days where you will feel lonely on Valentine’s Day or when you’re going out with a group of friends. But on the flip side, gone are the days when you can do your own thing, where you want to go alone and have some fun by yourself. That’s also not to mention all those times where you have to go with your spouse to places that you’d rather not go to – like your father-in-law’s second cousin’s daughter’s wedding that’s happening two cities away.
2. You will always have a snuggle buddy
We all have those low moments where we need to be hugged and held. Yes, even strong, macho men go through these times. If you’re single, this could lead to a lot of brooding and pillow-hugging. But if you’re married, every time you wake up with a start due to a nightmare, be assured that your spouse will wake up next to you as well, and unless you really annoyed them, they will be more than happy to snuggle with you. This also means that there is pressure to share what’s on your mind, even though you may prefer to deal with it alone.
3. You have a friend for life
If both you and your spouse play your cards right, marriage could be a process of life-long friendship for you. Just the act of living together in close proximity with another person is likely to emotionally bond you to them, and most happily married people are best friends with their spouse. This means sticking up for one another, having fun with each other, the ability to have both serious and goofy conversations, and much, much more.
4. You will become more caring
Marriage will make you more caring and accepting as a person. No matter how ‘compatible’ you are with your spouse, there will be things that they do which you absolutely dislike, and there will be things that you do that drive them up the wall. The only way to make a marriage work over a period of years is to accept the other person for who they are, and learning to care for them though their flaws push all your buttons. This trait will be tested even further after you have kids.
5. You will be part of something larger than you are
Marriage is a great perspective-setter. After the ‘I should, I will’ years of being a teen and a twenty-something, marriage is for most people the first time in their lives where they commit to something bigger than they are: i.e. a spouse, a family, children. By the act of marriage you begin on this journey where you create a world of your own, and watch it grow, almost like a separate organism that is free of your identity.