Romantic relationships are vital for your state of mind, and any romantic relationship, no matter your age or gender, can have a positive and negative impact on your overall mental health.
When they’re good, relationships can be amazing for your mental health. Meeting someone new and maintaining a good relationship can leave you feeling like you’re on cloud nine and walking on air. The feeling you get is like nothing else in the world; the lucky ones have all been there in the past and know what I mean. It’s euphoric. And, when they’re bad and going off the rails, we know the answer: it’s devastating. Better Health has a great article titled Strong Relationships; Strong Health tells us that being lonely or isolated can affect your mental, emotional and physical health. This article will explain how your relationship with people will affect your health and state of mind.
THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS
1. Enhanced Mental Health: Let’s face it, if you’re in a good relationship and connecting with someone, it’s a buzz and great for your mental state of mind. The Australian Institute of Family Studies tells us that Research consistently shows that married people have better mental health than single people do. It makes perfect sense. Just look at happy partners; you can see they rely on each other to help balance them out. When you are down, you can talk to your partner for a boost and vice versa. Being lonely without a sounding board can be disastrous for your mental state. Think about all those single, lonely people with negative thoughts and no one to talk to or get that much-needed boost. A nightmare scenario!
2. Stress Reduction and Emotional Support 24/7: How often have you come home from work and unleashed all your problems and daily stress on your partner? They are there for mental balance, emotional support and a good old chat. Without this camaraderie and crutch, people often turn to other means like drugs or alcohol, which solve nothing and exacerbate problems. An equal partner whom you can talk to is invaluable for your mental health, especially when they ask for nothing in return.
3. Longevity and Physical Health: Numerous studies show that life expectancy increases in good relationships. Single, lonely, insular people tend to experience chronic disease more, reducing their life expectancy. Happy people in a relationship will have a better mind and a more positive outlook on life and, therefore, be less prone or susceptible to illness. Strange as this may seem, it’s true.
THE COMPLEXITIES AND CHALLENGES
1. Quality: Not all relationships are smooth sailing. We all know that things can turn sour between couples, and this can add to a massive spike in stress levels, anxiety and financial stress. So, it’s essential to see the telltale signs of a relationship downturn and try to mitigate this through counselling, respect and, above all, communication.
Also read: 13 Signs your in a Toxic Relationship
2. Men seem to gain the most: Studies have shown that men seem to benefit the most from a happy marriage. It’s not a huge difference, but there are studies that prove the old expression true: a happy wife is a happy life!
While romantic relationships are vital for your state of mind, the quality of this relationship is also a key (if not primary) component. The romantic spark will fade over time; this is inevitable, and you cannot consistently maintain that amorous sexual affection you have in the first couple of months going year after year, which is where the relationship quality kicks into gear based on respect, trust, and common life goals and expectations.
If you feel like you’re in a slump and a toxic relationship that seems to be on a repeat cycle of negativity and need to look at making a change, then this starts with you making the first step. You can also reach out to Robyn at Blue Label Life for some advice and perhaps see who else is out there on the dating scene that might turn your state of mind around.
