Signed, sealed, delivered.(if you want your relationship to last, write a journal about it)

If you want to make sure your girlfriend hangs around, grab a pen or find a keyboard. Relax--you don't have to write a love letter, and spelling doesn't count. New research from the University of Texas shows that writing a journal about your relationship can make it last. In a study, some dating couples wrote about their relationships for 20 minutes a day, 3 days in a row, while other couples just wrote about daily activities. Checking back in 3 months, researchers found that those who wrote about their love lives were three times more likely to still be together. Why did it work? It's a practice run. "You can sort out how you feel before you talk to your partner," says lead study author Richard Slatcher, Ph.D. "It smooths communication, which strengthens the relationship." You can reap the same benefits by writing occasionally--for instance, when you're working through problems, he says. "Writing just once may help get those nagging thoughts about your relationship out of your head," says Slatcher.

Source Citation:"Signed, sealed, delivered.(if you want your relationship to last, write a journal about it)(Brief article)." Men's Health 21.10 (Dec 2006): 46. Academic OneFile. Gale. BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARY. 16 Aug. 2009
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