Time and time again we hear about how marriage is hard work. That said, we aren’t always faced with a message that has us running to the altar to marry someone. And, indeed, the truth is that marriage is hard work; I just can’t lie to you about that one. However, with the work that goes into it come incredible benefits. If you don’t believe me, you really have to shift your perspective.

When you think about it, many of the things we enjoy in life are directly related to the level of effort we put into them. A satisfying and thriving business or career is usually the result of a lot of hard work. Living in a nice home that serves as our sanctuary typically comes because we put in a lot of work to buy that home. And the list goes on and on. The message is crystal clear; work hard, enjoy the benefits.

So now that I’ve convinced you about marriage being worth all the hard work, you are probably wondering how you can tell, right? After all, you need to meet an expected outcome to know if the effort you put into something is worth your time.

I’m convinced that a happy marriage is really good for your health. When you give it some thought it really does make perfect sense. Typically when something serves you well in one area of your life, that benefit leaks into other areas. So it should be no surprise that the effort put into building a strong marriage will also lead to positive results in other areas of you life.

Here are 3 reasons why marriage is good for your health. If you and your spouse are willing to work at what you have, I promise the results will be far-reaching.

1. It urges you to make self-care a priority.

If you are in a healthy marriage, you will find yourself with a partner that supports and encourages the idea of self-care. You see, a smart spouse knows that if you fall apart, soon enough everything else will, too. Clearly no one benefits if that happens. When you have someone holding you accountable and encouraging you to do nice things for yourself, you are more likely to make it happen, and that is a VERY good thing.

2. You have consistent emotional support.

People say marriage is hard, but the truth is that life is hard. I believe it’s also amazing and wonderful, too. The thing is we need an incredibly supportive person in our corner to help us make it through the hard stuff. It doesn’t mean that the hard stuff goes away, or life only dishes you rainbows and ice cream. It does, however, mean that when faced with adversity, you are much more equipped to make it through and come out stronger if someone who loves you is listen, supporting, and encouraging you every single step of the way.

3. You are more likely to take better care of your physical health.

For many of us, turning away from exercise and engaging in emotional eating is often because we feel unsettled with some area of our lives. A healthy relationship leaves you in a better place emotionally, ultimately minimizing your level of stress while giving you healthier ways to manage the stress you do have, like working out. Also, couples that are happy together often workout together, or they support one another by covering things on the home front while the other one works out. Nothing beats that kind of support and your health and family are better off because of it.

BMWK family, how has marriage been worth the hard work?