Love and Health: Benefits of Healthy Relationships

by Shelby Wood

Shared 2/14/24

Today, as you may be aware, is Valentine’s Day. This day can be exciting, triggering … or mean absolutely nothing to you. All of these feelings and any others that come up are completely valid. What is worth stopping to ponder (beyond your choice of mushy/funny/sexy/sweet/sincere cards) is the real value of having love in your life. Romantic love is great, sure! That said, having a solid network of family and friends that love and support one another is valuable too in supporting your health.

Articles by Jamie Ducharme in Time:Health (Feb 14, 2018) and Lauryn Gerard in UT Health Austin ( Feb 13, 2019) summarize research about the health gains associated with love – both romantic and non-romantic:

Love is Good for You!

  • Love makes you happy! Dopamine, the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter, is released in our brains when we first fall in love. It may stay elevated as love matures though, normally these levels slowly return to normal. Of interest, early in relationships cortisol levels also spike which can look like passion and anxiety. What a mix of emotions!
  • Love lower levels of stress. As dopamine levels start to normalize, oxytocin, a bonding hormone, is released. This can be good for our health as secure attachments lower stress levels.
  • Love reduces anxiety, something that has been demonstrated as harmful to your health. Loneliness stimulates anxiety, and loving relationships are one of the most significant ways to reduce feelings of loneliness.
  • Love can foster improved self-care. Ducharme quotes Dr. Helen Riess of Mass General Hospital’s Relational Science Program: “Couples encourage each other to go to the doctor when they don’t want to.” Your partner may notice a change and encourage you to seek care for something you may not yet have identified. All loving relationships can help with this.
  • Love increases longevity: “Til Death Do Us Part” may be longer for married couples. In relation to single peers, married couples have lower rates of substance abuse, depression, and high blood pressure. A 2010 analysis of 148 scientific studies on longevity concluded that increased quantity and quality of social relationships is correlated to longer lives.

Your loving relationships with friends, family and neighbors build health and longevity benefits for you – and everyone who experiences that love.

CommunityCare of Lyme is dedicated to love!

Every week we share multiple ways to gather and feel the love – small, supportive conversations; opportunities to work side-by-side with other loving volunteers or to visit a neighbor and build a warm connection; uplifting music-filled parties; and even Jenks Fund support for some flowers or a special meal with your love.

Just last evening, Tuesday, February 13th, 18 women from seven towns and seven decades were at Martha Tecca’s home in Orford for CCL’s 5th annual Galentine’s Day gathering. Each year has brought a new something special – a kind of magic that bubbles up among open, hopeful, grateful hearts.

Looking for more ways to be with neighbors and friends, building social connection and loving relationships?

Bookmark our online Community Calendar, drawing from many sources, with events and activities in Lyme and across the Upper Valley, or click here to sign up for CCL weekly updates, including community news, event highlights, and a little inspiration.

Works Cited:

Ducharme, Jamie. “5 Ways Love Is Good for Your Mental and Physical Health.” Time, Time, 14 Feb. 2018, time.com/5136409/health-benefits-love/.

Gerard, Lauryn. “UT Health Austin | the Surprising Health Benefits of Love.” UT Health Austin , The University of Texas at Austin , 13 Feb. 2019, uthealthaustin.org/blog/health-benefits-of-love.

Every Wednesday, CommunityCare of Lyme lifts up a wellness topic, embracing the widest possible definition of individual and community well-being. We include local and national resources, individual and group programs and practices, and personal stories, videos, or songs that have something to teach us all. We are always seeking guest contributors! 

If you have a wellness-themed topic you would like to share or learn more about, please reach out to shelby@cclyme.org

Shelby Wood
Manager of Volunteer Participation
CommunityCare of Lyme
Shelby@cclyme.org
802-468-7776 (cell)
603-795-0603 (CCL office and help line)