Prof. Robin Milhausen, a professor and associate chair of U of G’s Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, spoke to O, the Oprah magazine about why having separate interests and hobbies is actually good for marriages and relationships.

Milhausen commented that taking time to enjoy one’s own interests can help boost one’s self-confidence as well as keep a relationship refreshed.

“If we don’t have our own lives, it’s not attractive to our partners,” she said.

Milhausen studies human sexuality and couple relationships, investigating the factors that inhibit and enhance sexual desire, such as body image and relationship duration. She is also a member of the international Kinsey Institute Condom Use Research Team and investigates the factors that promote use of condoms.