Laugh together.

The above might sound ridiculously simple but getting the opportunity to do so on a regular basis isn't always that easy. Maybe you work completely opposite hours, maybe you have a long-distance relationship or maybe when you do get the chance to touch base in person, there's so much to chat about that a shared joke isn't much of a priority. Apparently, it should be according to the following research. A study published in Personal Relationships, a journal which can be viewed online here, explained how researchers from the University of North Carolina interviewed 71 couples about their partnerships. The couples, who had been dating for an average of four years, spoke about how they first met. Researchers found that the more the couples laughed while telling their stories, the closer they were. Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that laughter is a sign of happiness but the important thing here is the benefits of laughing together. Laura Kurtz, one of the study's authors explained that how one person is laughing and the other isn't, it can make you question why and lead to alienation over time. Speaking to TIME, she said:

“Moments of shared laughter are potent for a relationship. They bring a couple closer together".

It would seem that it's not enough to just laugh in the company of your partner, laughing together is an important ingredient of a happy relationship.