Marriage reduces stress claims new study

Is the pressure of finding the perfect dress making your head spin? Do you wake up in the middle of the night panicking over seating charts? Then you are probably experiencing wedding stress. Planning a wedding is no easy thing – anyone telling you otherwise has probably never planned one!

With millions of things to organise, it is not unusual to experience high levels of stress in the months leading up to your big day. This may put a strain on close relationships, perhaps turning even the nicest girl into Bridezilla. But fear not, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A recent study has found that being married or in a committed romantic relationship alters hormones in a way that reduces stress.

Professor Dario Maestripieri, who lead the team of researchers from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, says: “The results suggest that single and unpaired individuals are more responsive to psychological stress than married individuals, a finding consistent with a growing body of evidence showing that marriage and social support can buffer against stress.”

The research, published in the current issue of the journal Stress, was conducted on 500 MBA students at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The students were asked to play a series of computer games that tested economic behaviours, and had their cortisol levels – the stress hormone – measured before and after. In order to induce stress, each student was told that the test was a course requirement and that it would impact their future career placement.

So when you’re finding yourself knee-deep in wedding invitations and stressing over cake samples, remember that once you’ve said “I do” you should be much better equipped to handle other stressors in your life.

For more information visit http://www.chicagobooth.edu

Image: B Studio Wedding Invitations