How Your Love Life Affects Your Health
Our health essentially dictates everything else about our lives. If we’re feeling good, we can be more active, have more energy, and be positive about things – we’ll see more opportunities and we’ll try new ideas. Our bodies will be full of good hormones, and our organs will be functioning correctly.
Conversely, when we’re unwell, we’ll have no energy, we’ll only see negative things, and we won’t want to do anything – we’ll be miserable, and our bodies will take longer to heal because of it.
It’s quite incredible just how linked the mind and our physical health really are, and if the mind dictates our health, it’s just as true that our health dictates our state of mind. However, did you know that your love life can also affect your health? Read on to find out more.
Your Weight
Have you ever noticed that when you are in a stable, long-term, positive relationship, you tend to put on some weight? This is because you’re happy and feel comfortable with the person you’re in love with, and, for some (although not all), you might stop trying quite so hard to impress once you’re at this stage, and your fitness and healthy eating can become much harder to be motivated to keep up with. You could say that putting on weight is a good thing because it shows you’re happy, but of course, it’s not good for your health.
The good news is that if it was a stable relationship that caused you to put on the weight, that same relationship can help you to lose it. Either you can both work out together and motivate one another, or if just one of you wants to lose weight, the other can help by, again, motivating you and noticing the effort you’re making.
Your Stress Levels
Chronic stress is very bad for our health. It will affect us mentally and physically and could lead to some terrible long-term conditions. This is why it’s so important to look for help if you’re stressed, but it’s also important to do as much as you can to reduce your stress levels.
Being in a relationship will help, as long as it’s a happy one. To begin with, you’ll have someone to talk to, and this is a good way to relieve the pressure you might be feeling. As well as this, you’ll have someone to relax with and who will remind you to relax. Finally, sex is a great way to reduce stress levels because it releases serotonin into the body, and this reduces the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) you have, as well as makes you feel great.
Your Anxiety
Anxiety is an issue that can affect anyone at any time, and it can be completely debilitating, potentially even causing you to not be able to leave the house or engage in any social situations. However, studies have proven that people in long-term, happy relationships are often less anxious than others. Again, this is because there is always someone there on whom you can depend, making any life situation much easier to deal with.
Anxiety can be hugely troubling, and if you can’t manage it by yourself, don’t hide it. Always seek professional advice and let loved ones know how you’re feeling, as it will make all the difference.
