Our relationships are vital to not just our mental health, but our physical well-being. Social isolation has been shown to raise stress, reduce sleep, cause or accelerate cognitive decline, cause or aggravate depression and anxiety, impair your immune system and, yes, affect the health of your heart.
Healthy relationships reverse those effects and make life more worthwhile overall. Here’s how strong social connections support your health.
The Impact of Relationships on Mental Health
First of all, healthy relationships reduce anxiety and depression. Emotional support and physical affection (not just intimacy) can both help reduce symptoms. Also, doing something fun with friends helps lift your mood and distract you from your problems.
Relationships also provide a sense of belonging and love, increasing emotional stability. Spending time with people who make you happy dramatically increases your mental health.
It also reduces feelings like social isolation and loneliness. Both older adults and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to loneliness and its impacts, but it can also hit hard on people who are staying home with children or working from home.
Physical Health Benefits of Relationships
Love and strong relationships strengthen your immune system. This reduces your risk of catching viral infections such as flu or COVID and helps you recover faster. One study showed that antiviral activity in the immune system increases in women who fall in love.
Individuals in healthy relationships also tend to live longer and have better overall health outcomes. Happily married couples can enjoy many years together. Unhealthy, relationships, however, can have the opposite effect.
Strong social connections also lower cardiovascular risks and your risk of stroke, especially as you get older. Spending time with people who make you feel good helps ensure your well-being.
Emotional and Psychological Benefits
Good friends lift you up. Healthy relationships boost your self-esteem and self-worth through mutual respect. Surround yourself with people who know what you need to hear and who celebrate your wins.
Good relationships also improve your communication skills, especially active listening and assertive expression. This can help you develop better relationships as well as support your career and life.
Finally, how many times have your friends encouraged you to do something you might not have done otherwise? Supportive relationships help you step out of your comfort zone and pursue difficult, but worthwhile goals.
Social and Community Aspects of Well-Being
Emotional resilience is vital in the modern, stressful world. Healthy relationships provide you with the support you need to gain emotional resilience, and working with friends can help you develop coping skills.
Many people rely on their romantic partners for social support. However, one person can never give you all the social and logistical support you need. A healthy social network includes friends, community relationships, and family.
All these connections contribute to your overall well-being. The bigger your community, the more connections you have to turn to when you need support.
Practical Tips for Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships support mental and physical well-being. Unhealthy or toxic ones, however, can detract from it. There are three ways to build and maintain a healthy relationship…regardless of whether it is a friendship, an intimate relationship, a coworker you work with, or distant relative.
- Effective communication. Keep your communication open and honest. Listen carefully and actively, take accountability for your own actions, and always try to see the other person’s point of view.
- Mutual respect and trust. These can be the hardest things to work on. Never belittle somebody or let anyone belittle you. Show vulnerability so that you can build trust.
- Shared activities and interests. Find stuff you enjoy doing together. (You can also find new relationships through activities you enjoy, which can be a great way to combat loneliness). Watch a movie together, go for a walk, cook a meal.
All these will keep your relationships solid and healthy which will, in turn, help your overall wellness. Sworkit provides exercise and nutrition plans with a holistic approach to support your mental and physical health. Check out our workouts and other resources to help you live better.
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