We humans are hard-wired to connect. Our relationships are the foundation of our lives. And how well we build them, nurture them and maintain them will govern the quality of our lives and whether we’re thriving.
That’s why I’m so happy to announce the launch of our new advice column about relationships with The Gottman Institute. From romance to family to work relationships, experts vetted and approved by The Gottman Institute will answer your toughest questions. And you’ll be getting advice that draws on the Institute’s decades of groundbreaking research on every aspect of what makes relationships healthy and happy.
“It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected,” said Robert Waldinger.
And we know from many scientific findings that when our relationships are healthy and happy, we are, too. We intuitively know this to be true, but it was conclusively validated by an 80-year Harvard study that began tracking students back in 1938. The results? “It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected,” said Robert Waldinger, the director of the study, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
So if you’re having problems in any of your relationships – with children, friends, a spouse, romantic partner or a co-worker – or you just want to know how to deepen your relationships and make them stronger, send your questions our way to [email protected].
“In order to get to a healthier and more productive place,” said Dr. John Gottman, who co-founded the Institute with his wife, Dr. Julie Gottman, “we need to give up our fear of conflict, turmoil and resistance.”
And that’s what we’re here for. The doctors are in…
Read our first column on how to make friends as an adult here.
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