The Number 1 Way to Tell if You're in a Healthy Relationship

New research uncovers the true secret of happy couples.

There are so many reasons why certain relationships just work—mutual admiration and trust, great sex, a shared obsession with Game of Thrones...But new research has found that one element in particular makes it more likely that you’ll stay with your S.O.: being friends.
Two new studies published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that couples who place a high value on friendship with their partner are more committed, more in love, and more sexually satisfied than those who aren’t friends with their BF or GF.

For the first study, researchers at Purdue University had 190 students who had been in a relationship for an average of 18 months fill out surveys to gauge how dedicated they were in their relationship, how much they had invested in it, and where they hoped it would go.
"Couples who placed a high value on friendship with their partner are more committed, more in love, and more sexually satisfied than those who aren’t friends with their BF or GF."
Researchers followed up in four months and found that a whopping 27 percent were no longer with that same person (#college). When scientists dove into the survey results, they found that those who were still together were more likely to score high in the friendship, romantic commitment, love, and sexual satisfaction elements.
For the second study, researchers asked 184 students who had been in a relationship for at least 16 months to rate how much they value companionship, sex, security, self-improvement, and experiencing new things with their partner. Those who said friendship was crucial in a relationship also scored higher for romantic commitment and sexual fulfillment.
The bottom line? Attraction is important in a relationship, but if you really want to be with your partner for the long haul, it’s a good idea to date someone who'd also make a great BFF.

Office Plants Can Boost Productivity and Morale

Getting your office into a vegetative state, it turns out, can actually be good for business.
A study out of the University of Queensland in Australia has concluded that an office ornamented with plantlife can actually increase employee productivity by 15 percent.“A green office communicates to employees that their employer cares about them and their welfare,” said the study’s co-author, Alex Haslam, a psychology professor. “Office landscaping helps the workplace become a more enjoyable, comfortable and profitable place to be.”The study -- purportedly the first-ever to assess the long-term effects of green surroundings on productivity -- focused on three workspaces in the UK and the Netherlands. Minimalist offices were spruced up with greenery, as perceptions of air quality, concentration and workplace satisfaction were monitored over the course of two months.“The findings suggest that investing in landscaping an office will pay off through an increase in office workers’ quality of life and productivity.”Halsam also noted that the motivating upshot of vegetation would seem to contradict the long-held belief that “lean” -- or minimally-appointed -- office spaces were more conducive to productivity.“Modern offices and desks have been stripped back to create sparse spaces -- our findings question this widespread theory that less is more,” he said. “Sometimes less is just less.”