Experts Reveal The 2 Small Habits That Quietly Determine Whether You'll Stay Married Or Not After 40

Love brings two people together in mysterious ways. Sometimes, you're so different that you don't understand it — you just click. Opposites are often the best complements, no matter how different the two people are. But even though your dynamic makes sense to you at the beginning of your relationship, that can all change later on. Your partner's personality might not coordinate with your current needs, which can completely throw off your connection.

Do you feel like your differences are throwing off your love connection? Holistic medium practitioner Cathleen Miller, behavioral analyst Steven Sisler, and the late biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher shared some great tips to maintain a long-term marriage after 40. Here's what they say will keep your love alive and in sync.

Experts reveal the two small habits that quietly determine whether you'll stay married or not after 40:

1. Knowing who you are

Get to know yourself and understand what type of personality you have. Later, share that with your partner so you understand each other's needs and can work towards meeting those needs together.

Studies found that self-aware people enjoy more fulfilling relationships because they use their self-knowledge to better manage their feelings and understand what they want and need from a partner. When you know yourself well, you're better at expressing feelings, resolving conflicts, and staying flexible.

2. Respecting each other's differences

Understand that your partner isn't like you in many ways. Don't push your him/her to live life the same way you do. Respect that your partner is different and enjoy your life together with those differences.

Relationship satisfaction depends less on matching personality traits and more on mutual respect and how partners communicate. Research found that trying to change your partner based on your differences actually damages relationships because it sends the message that they're not good enough as they are.

"You know, the issue is we don't see people as they are," explains Steven Sisler. "We see them as we are. That creates the difficulty. So, we have to see them as they are, and ... respect the difference and realize they're not doing that because they're trying to annoy me. That's just how they're wired. And so when we understand that, it's okay."

Being in a relationship means accepting the other person, flaws and all. And it's all about trust. Trusting that they won't hurt you, and trusting that they feel the same way about you and will continue to choose you. Because love is a choice, and it is a choice that must be made every day. That's all any of us can ever hope for.

Studies found that what truly sustains a marriage isn't just love itself, but the daily commitment and effort couples put in. It's those everyday choices to show up, to trust, and to choose your partner again that make the real difference. And that's what makes a marriage last beyond 40 and into all the years that follow.

The late Helen Fisher, Ph.D., was a biological anthropologist and Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and Chief Scientific Advisor to the dating site Match. She was the author of the book The Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray, among other titles.

Steven Sisler is a Personality Consultant, Behavioral Profiler, and lead Behavioral Analyst at The Behavioral Resource Group.

Cathleen Miller is an Intuitive Energy Practitioner & Intuitive Lifestyle Expert who works with clients internationally and also creates and leads world-class body-mind wellness retreats for top Condé Nast resorts.

Liza Caldwell runs SAS for Women, a boutique firm that specializes in helping women free themselves from dysfunctional and unhappy relationships.