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Quarrels in the family, gossip and intrigue at work, bad relations with neighbors have a negative impact on well-being. Psychotherapist Melanie Greenberg talks about how relationships with others affect health.
Harmonious relationships make us not only happy, but also healthier, as well as healthy sleep, proper nutrition and quitting smoking. This effect is given not only by romantic relationships, but also by friendship, family and other social ties.
Relationship quality matters
Middle-aged women who are happy with their marriage are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than those in toxic relationships. In addition, there is a direct relationship between weak immunity and high levels of stress hormones in the blood. Women over XNUMX who are unhappily married have higher levels of blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as a higher body mass index, than their peers. A failed love life increases the likelihood of anxiety, anger, and depression.
Friends and partners motivate us to acquire healthy habits
In harmonious relationships, people encourage each other to lead a healthy lifestyle. Social support motivates you to eat more vegetables, exercise, and quit smoking.
In addition, exercising with friends or dieting with a partner is easier and more enjoyable. A healthy diet not only makes us feel better, but also looks good. This motivates you to keep going.
The desire to look good “inculcates” healthy habits than the desire to please a partner.
However, sometimes support can turn into a desire to control a partner. Normal support promotes health, while controlling behavior breeds resentment, anger, and resistance. Objective factors, such as the desire to look good, are better at instilling healthy habits than subjective ones, such as the desire to please a partner.
Social support reduces stress
Harmonious relationships reduce stress reactions inherited from our primitive ancestors. This was proved by researchers who studied the behavior of people who have to speak in front of an audience. If a friend, partner or other family member was present in the hall, the speaker’s pulse did not increase so much and the heart rate was restored faster. Pets also lower blood pressure and normalize levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Friendship and love help fight depression
For people prone to depression, harmonious relationships are an important protective factor. It is known that full social support reduces the likelihood of depression in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The support of relatives helps such patients to change their lifestyle to a healthier one, and contributes to their mental rehabilitation.
The positive effect of friendly, family and partner support was observed in different social groups: students, the unemployed and parents of seriously ill children.
You, too, can positively influence the health of your friends and family. You need to listen carefully to what they say, show care, motivate them to lead a healthy lifestyle and, if possible, protect them from sources of stress. Try not to criticize loved ones or leave conflicts unresolved.