Have you ever started to have what you thought was going to be a normal conversation with someone only to have it escalate into a red hot argument without even trying? Do you and your spouse (or teenager or boss or sibling) seem to hit each other’s buttons so that arguments go from zero to 100 mph in 3.5 seconds. These are the typical vicious circle arguments that we have all experienced at some time in our relationships.
Well, science has finally proven that these vicious cycles really do exist.
Researchers at UCLA recently had parents have a discussion about a hot-button issue with their teenager. Every few minutes they had all three of them give a saliva sample with a cotton swab. Then they sent the saliva samples to a lab to measure their stress hormones.
What they found was totally amazing.
When the mother’s stress hormones went up it caused the father’s stress hormones to go up. When the father’s stress hormones went up it made the teenager’s level go up. Finally, when the teenager’s level went up it made the mother’s level go up even higher.
HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE!
Husbands and fathers please take note – this study also proves the old saying, “Happy Wife, Happy Life.”
If your wife is stressed, you will get stressed. When you get stressed, you are going to stress out your kids. When your kids get stressed, they are going to get your wife even more stressed. And so on, and so on, and so on…
FURTHER READING
You once mentioned occasional “tune-ups” as a way to keep my mental state in balance, something I’ve thought of doing these past several months but haven’t pushed the on button. This electronic newsletter is a baby aspirin, just the dose I need right now, so thank you for including me in the mailing.
Mary Ann Gates