Nearly all jobs are stressful at one time or another, and for many people the "bad day at the office" is nearly every day. When that tension and bad mood is carried home for the evening, it can cause a strain in your marriage and even lead to divorce.

While many married people have long known that job stress can transfer to marital problems, a new study from Florida State University shows how important receiving emotional support from one's spouse can be in improving one's attitude toward work and the marriage itself.

The study found that those whose spouse regularly provides emotional support had 50 percent higher rates of satisfaction with their marriages than those whose spouse fails to do so. Spouses who receive emotional support were also 30 percent less likely to criticize family members and 30 percent less likely to feel guilty about neglecting family relationships.

The study also found that having a supportive spouse leads to greater workplace productivity and happiness with your job. Those in the "receives spousal support" category reported a 20 percent higher level of job satisfaction and had 25 percent higher rates of concentration levels while working.

So what does it mean to provide your spouse emotional support? It can be as simple as listening to your spouse as he or she complains about his or her day. Of course, emotional support is a two-way street, so don't be afraid to talk about all the bad things that happened at your workplace as well.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, "Stressed out working couples: emotional support critical, new FSU study says," Marcia Heroux Pounds, Feb. 20, 2012