Many factors can impact one’s health. Most of the time, genetics, medical care, physical influences, and even medical care are the determinants of health. But one must not forget that things like employment, financial security, housing, education, even your relationships can significantly influence your health. In this article, we will tackle how the latter impacts your health.
Love and Belongingness as Basic Needs
Some people can thrive on their own. This goes beyond living solo and having no one they can rely on in times of trouble but themselves. But according to science, love and belongingness are every human’s basic needs.
As social creatures, it is only natural that you crave other people’s presence and interactions. We are programmed to want the company of others no matter independent we might be. There will be times when you will want someone to accompany you, talk about anything under the sun, and even yearn for a lifetime partner.
Humans need to feel the company and comfort of other people. We feel happiness and satisfaction for sharing great moments with the people we like. We crave our loved one’s comforting words and hugs in times of anxiety and depression.
No matter how independent you might be, there will be times when you crave the love, trust, affection, and acceptance of others. It feels great knowing you belong to a group. This is why many people join clubs and organizations like volunteer groups, fraternities, and sororities.
What Science Has to Say About Health and Relationships
Numerous studies show that social relations can indeed impact one’s health. Poor social relationships are linked to a lower quality of life. One can suffer from stress, anxiety, lower self-esteem, depression, and lower immunity. By improving your relationship with others, you can increase your happiness, improve your health and well-being, and boost your overall life satisfaction.
Happy, long-lasting relationships can help you walk through life, no matter how happy or hard it gets. Numerous research shows that long-term relationships can help decrease the risk for serious health complications, including breast cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Health living along with healthy marital relationships has 49% lower mortality rates.
It is crucial that one invests in social connections. You may not have excellent relations with your own family members due to personal reasons. But you can always extend reach out to your extended connections to satisfy your need for love and belonging.
For one, you can consider finding your true love. Thankfully, today’s technology makes it easier to connect and stay in touch with your loved ones. If regular blind dates don’t work, you can consider dating sites, dating apps, even hiring the services of a professional matchmaker.
When it comes to your family and friends, make sure you take time to reconnect and keep your line of communication open. Use technology to stay in touch with loved ones living far away.
Don’t forget about the power of connections in your career. Knowing the right people and nurturing your relationship with them can help you achieve specific career goals. Sometimes, one also needs to have the right connections to showcase your talent at the right time.
Study shows that organizational identification in the workplace leads to better health. The right connections in your career field can also help you gain the necessary skill you need to climb the corporate ladder. When you get along well with your connections at work, you become more productive, experience lower levels of stress, and improve your overall health.
Characteristics of Healthy Relationships
Relationships can either be healthy or unhealthy. There are signs that your relationships with someone are unhealthy. This includes the following.
- One tries to be in control of everything.
- They are often dishonest and show no respect for your privacy and feelings.
- One threatens to hurt you or themselves if the relationship ends.
- They try to pick a fight every chance they get while you try so hard to avoid them getting upset.
- They are using physical, verbal, and sexual violence.
Healthy relationships involve both parties taking time to understand, trust, respect, and solve their problems. People with healthy relationships fight fair, keep a good line of communication, and allow you to express your individuality. They show confidence in themselves and their relationships and are willing to compromise and be role models to their partners.
This shortlist shows that healthy relationships are crucial for your health. The healthier your relationships are with your family, friends, and other people, the healthier you become. You can enjoy better peace of mind and aid your attempts in living a healthier and happier lifestyle.
