If Your Husband Uses These 11 Small Phrases, He’s Actually Happier Than You Think
Miljan Zivkovic / Shutterstock When your husband feels happily married to you, he will likely want to express his satisfaction in small ways. You may not always realize what he is trying to convey, but if your husband uses small phrases that express warmth, affection, and gratitude, there's a good chance that he's actually happier than you think.
The way couples treat one another and the quality of the time they each spend together have a significant impact on the overall happiness of a marriage. Being intentional about showing support and appreciation for each other while also constructively managing disagreements can help develop a strong, successful bond between you and your husband.
If your husband uses these 11 small phrases, he’s actually happier than you think
1. 'I love spending time with you'
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You may question how happy your husband really is in your marriage. This is a valid concern. However, if he often tells you that he loves spending time with you and shows that love through actions as well, it is safe to say that he is actually happier than you may think.
A 2022 study found that couples who spend more time together are typically happier, more satisfied in their relationship, and the positive aspects of their relationship also lead them to feel a deeper and closer connection with one another. The research highlights that couples who spend time engaged in activities or constructive communication, rather than arguing, are more likely to have a positive relationship. When you and your husband enjoy activities together and understand how to effectively communicate with each other, these could be two reasons why he genuinely does love spending time with you.
2. 'I can't believe how lucky I am to have you'
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Luck can only get you so far in a marriage. Your husband might tell you that he cannot believe how lucky he is to have you, but there is so much more to this comment than you may realize. A phrase like this expresses not only his happiness in the marriage, but also his gratitude for the amount of work and intentionality the two of you have put into creating a successful and happy marriage. He is, in a way, thanking you for sticking by his side long enough to reap the benefits of all your hard work.
Research shows that psychological well-being has a major impact on the happiness of a marriage. People who have higher levels of initial life happiness tend to feel luckier and happier in their marriages. This means that people who had positive well-being often developed happier marriages that continued to improve their well-being, while those with low psychological well-being experienced stressful interactions with their partners and ultimately less satisfaction in their marriages.
The idea of this study was to understand the actions happily married couples take in order to achieve a long-term, happy marriage. By understanding the steps couples take to achieve satisfying relationships, there is potential for unhappy marriages to be positively impacted by this information and advice.
3. 'I'm so proud of you'
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A happy marriage is greatly impacted by the support and celebration each partner shows the other. Your husband telling you that he is so proud of you is a signal that he feels happy in the marriage and wants to ensure you feel happy and appreciated as well.
Trained psychotherapists and relationship counselors, Linda and Charlie Bloom note that married couples who deeply aim to understand the impact that sympathetic joy has on a marriage are more likely to pat their spouse on the back for their successes and build a more satisfying marriage. When your husband shows you support, even in less stressful times, you start feeling like he is more reliable and easier to lean on when times do get stressful.
4. 'You understand me'
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Being understood by the person we love can positively impact our relationships. When your husband commonly tells you that you understand him, he is expressing to you his satisfaction and happiness with the marriage.
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology highlights that in order to maintain a satisfying and joyous marriage, each partner will want to not only know their partner, but possibly more importantly, want to feel known by their partner. It mentions that the overall well-being of each partner relies heavily on feeling understood by their spouse and feeling supported by them. Just by feeling understood by you, your husband will remain happier within the relationship than he would if he felt less known.
5. 'I really appreciate you'
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Showing gratitude within long-term relationships not only improves personal well-being but also positively affects relational well-being. Having a husband who always wants to show and tell you how much he appreciates you is likely very happy in his marriage.
A 2017 study used to determine whether the injection of gratitude into relationships has the ability to improve relationships found that authentic gratitude and appreciation could harness positive change within a relationship. When your husband is making sure to let you know he is thankful for you, he wants to ensure the betterment of your relationship.
6. 'You bring me peace of mind'
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Life can get overwhelming at times, so many partners want to find peace within their relationship. When your husband tells you that you bring him peace, he wants you to be aware of the positive impact you have on him and how this affects his happiness in the marriage.
Happiness and enjoyment within a marriage are heavily dependent on each partner’s emotions toward the current state of their life. When you help keep your husband from stressing and feeling anxiety from his life situation, he will feel more at peace in the marriage. If during hardships, you make him feel understood and listened to, he will feel happier in the marriage, and it will strengthen the bond between the two of you.
7. 'I love how you dealt with that situation'
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Conflicts are inevitable in a marriage, and often constructive arguments can actually be beneficial for a relationship. However, when couples decide to escalate conflict rather than regulate negative emotions, conflicts can get out of hand and poorly impact a marriage. If you tend to have a strong ability to de-escalate during disagreements, your husband will typically find himself feeling happier in the marriage, and he will want to show you his admiration for the way you deal with situations, like heated conflicts.
Research highlights how influential emotion regulation is in developing successful relationships. This study found that wives typically use constructive communication to soothe negative emotions and behaviors, which ultimately benefits the relationship and leads to marital satisfaction for both the husband and the wife.
8. 'Coming home to you is the best part of my day'
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Your husband is truly happy being married to you if he always tells you that coming home to you is the best part of his day. Simply having you in his life and being present in any moment he spends with you increases his happiness and improves his well-being.
A 2021 study found that life feels more satisfying and meaningful when individuals have a romantic partner to share it with and when they socialize with these partners. When a husband gets to come home and spend time with his wife, his well-being heightens, making him feel as though this is the best part of his day.
9. 'You make my heart skip a beat'
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If your husband is deeply happy and feels strong, positive emotions toward your marriage, he will tell you that you make his heart skip a beat. When he feels this strongly about the bond the two of you share, his body will react to his emotions.
Referring to one’s heart skipping a beat when happily in love may not just be a figure of speech. In fact, feeling very strong emotions can actually cause non-threatening heart palpitations that may make a person feel as though their heart is skipping a beat. When a person feels strong emotions, typically their heart will begin to race due to the body’s sympathetic nervous system activating. When this occurs, the heart may skip a beat or flutter.
10. 'Every day with you is an adventure'
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Your husband telling you that every day with you is an adventure is his way of saying he still feels excited about the marriage and happy to be living life with you. By saying this, your concerns can be put to rest, because he is confirming that there is still a sense of novelty present in the marriage.
Studies have shown that engaging in new and adventurous activities with your partner may positively impact the overall satisfaction you and your husband feel within the marriage. When couples engage in novel experiences, they feel a boost in positive emotions, and this creates a sense of excitement within the relationship. This, along with other significant aspects of maintaining a satisfying marriage, like offering support and trust, can help keep each partner happy.
11. 'You're my best friend'
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Your husband telling you that you are his best friend says more about the relationship the two of you share than just simply that he is happy within the marriage. It speaks volumes about the support and partnership he feels your relationship offers.
A Colorado State University study found that couples who refer to their romantic partners as their best friends often felt greater levels of companionship and support than those who did not consider their partners to be their best friends. When your husband expresses the feelings he has toward you and the appreciation he feels about being married to you, he is showing you that he feels happily married to you.
Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor's degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.
