Thinking back on good times can be an 'antidote' to daily relationship frustrations, experts say

Your wedding day and first kiss are certainly memories to treasure with your partner.

And reminiscing about such happy moments may in fact be the key to ensuring that relationship lasts.

Romantic nostalgia helps to foster feelings of optimism about your connection with your other half, according to experts. 

Thinking of the first time you held hands or went on holiday together could be an 'antidote' to daily frustrations, they said.

Adam Fetterman, from the US University of Houston, and Nicholas Evans, from Canada's University of Manitoba, wrote: 'A first date, wedding and first kiss are examples of momentous occasions in a couple's relationship. 

'It is easier to think of a time when one's partner did not unload the dishwasher than it is to recall the butterflies and intimacy felt during one's first kiss.

A little romantic nostalgia can help put more immediate frustrations in context of what matters

'Romantic nostalgia... might serve as an antidote for the insidious daily frustrations of romantic relationships ... by reminding individuals of why they love their partner in spite of these issues.' 

The researchers looked at a number of previous studies. 

In the first, 245 people in a relationship were asked how often they looked at moments of courtship with fondness.

Those who did so regularly were more likely to report satisfaction. 

In another, students wrote about a nostalgic relationship experience and listened to a song that reminded them of their partners. 

After this, they had higher levels of relationship satisfaction. 

In another, people kept a daily diary and were asked things such as whether they wanted to break up.

Analysis found that on days participants felt more romantically nostalgic, they were more connected to partners and more optimistic about their relationship.

The review was published in the journal Current Opinion in Psychology.