We got a glimpse into Matthew McConaughey’s relationship this weekend, after he spoke about his family life at a Live Talk event in Los Angeles.
Chatting about his 11-year marriage to model and designer Camila Alves, the 53-year-old actor revealed that he and his wife have never spent more than nine days apart.
The statement has got a lot of people questioning whether this ‘nine-day rule’ could be the secret to a healthy and successful marriage.
Love coach and dating expert Nia Williams, founder of Miss Date Doctor, says it’s a great way to maintain emotional closeness and also reinforces commitment in a relationship.
Nia tells Metro: ‘Matthew McConaughey’s nine-day marriage rule reflects his commitment to spending quality time with his spouse, which is incredibly important.
‘Quality time is a component of a relationship that I think every couple needs for their relationship to be sustainable. If you don’t spend time together there may well be an emotional disconnect which leads to growing apart.
‘It can be a positive strategy to maintain emotional closeness and connection in a busy world.
‘I would say based on empirical evidence from what I see daily with my couples therapy clients and data, couples need to take quality time very seriously in their relationship for it to remain stable and sustainable.’
However, Nia stresses that every relationship is completely different and that ‘communication and mutual understanding should guide decisions about time spent apart.’
Therapist Caroline Plumer also points out that there’s no ‘one-size fits all’ for marriage.
Caroline explains: ‘Some couples, for reasons such as work, can’t implement a nine-day rule and that doesn’t mean their relationships don’t work.
‘Ultimately it may be that the quality of the time we spend together is even more important than the quantity.
‘If you spend every waking moment with your partner but you are constantly on your phone, or chosing never to engage in conversations of any emotional depth, that can be just as destructive as not spending time together
‘Each couple is unique and needs to work in partnership to figure out the healthiest way of living for them. ‘
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