Key Facts
- ✓ Mark Travers is a psychologist who studies relationships
- ✓ The happiest couples use mornings to regulate while protecting their bond
- ✓ Travers identifies seven things that happy couples do in the mornings
- ✓ These practices help regulate stress before work, emails, and daily pressures take over
Quick Summary
Before work, emails, and stress take over, the happiest couples use mornings to regulate while protecting their bond. Mark Travers, a psychologist who studies relationships, shares what they do differently.
These couples understand that the early hours set the tone for the entire day. Rather than immediately checking devices or rushing through routines, they prioritize connection and emotional grounding.
The seven habits identified by Travers focus on intentional actions that foster both individual well-being and relationship strength. These practices help partners start their day from a place of security and mutual understanding.
The Foundation of Morning Connection
Mark Travers explains that successful couples recognize mornings as a critical window for relationship maintenance. The period before daily responsibilities demand attention offers a unique opportunity for connection.
These couples intentionally create space for each other rather than allowing external pressures to dominate their first interactions. This approach helps regulate emotions and strengthens their bond before facing the day's challenges.
The research indicates that couples who prioritize morning connection experience greater relationship satisfaction throughout the day. This intentional approach contrasts sharply with couples who immediately engage with work demands and digital distractions.
"Before work, emails and stress take over, the happiest couples use mornings to regulate while protecting their bond"
— Mark Travers, Psychologist
Seven Key Morning Practices
According to Travers' findings, happy couples incorporate seven specific habits into their morning routines. These practices are designed to regulate stress and protect the relationship bond.
The habits include:
- Intentional physical connection
- Meaningful conversation before device use
- Shared moments of calm
- Expressing appreciation
- Co-regulation of emotions
- Creating joint intention for the day
- Protecting the morning space from external demands
These practices help couples maintain emotional equilibrium and connection despite busy schedules and external pressures.
Regulation and Bond Protection
The core principle behind these habits is regulation - both individual emotional regulation and co-regulation as a couple. Travers emphasizes that this process happens best in the morning before stress accumulates.
Couples who practice these habits report feeling more connected and better equipped to handle daily challenges together. The morning routine becomes a protective buffer that strengthens their relationship foundation.
This approach acknowledges that relationship maintenance requires intentional effort, particularly during transitional periods like mornings when couples shift from rest to daily responsibilities.
Implementation and Impact
Implementing these seven habits requires couples to restructure their morning priorities. This often means delaying device use and work communications to create space for connection.
The impact extends beyond the morning hours, as couples who start their day with intentional connection carry that sense of partnership into their respective daily activities. This shared foundation helps maintain relationship quality throughout the day.
Travers' research suggests that these morning practices are particularly important in modern relationships where external demands and digital distractions constantly compete for attention and time.
