Who here has heard that famous line all you need is love?
There are multiple benefits that come from both loving others and having them love you back. It’s a feeling we all naturally crave, and science backs up this biological need.
Here are several ways love can improve your mental health and give you a more fulfilling life.
1. Higher Release of “Happy Chemicals”
The neurochemistry behind love is an intriguing topic.
Love is a feeling that your body longs for and when the body receives it, it can’t help but release all of the happy chemicals to your brain.
The “happy chemicals” include dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These three chemicals are triggered by a unique aspect that the body associated with the feeling of love.
Oxytocin is the chemical that’s released with physical touch. It naturally associates touch with a level of trust that someone has with you. When you’re touched, there’s a certain level of oxytocin that’s released.
Dopamine is triggered by the emotion that’s attached to love. Anything that you can associate with that such as hearing someone say “I love you.” Dopamine is a chemical your brain simply can’t get enough of.
Last, but certainly not least, is serotonin. This chemical is triggered with anything having to do with social rank or title such as “boyfriend,” “manager,” etc.
While all three of these chemicals can be released from other factors, their highest levels are reached when love comes into play.
2. Live a Longer Life
What if someone told you there was a way to help add years to your life and make you happy at the same time? That’s the power that love can grant your mental health.
Studies show that married people have a longer life expectancy than those that are single.
The main reason for that is the sense of fulfillment and constant emotional support married people grant each other. If you’re a single person you have nothing to fear. You don’t have to be married to reap the benefits that were listed above. If you have close family members or friends that give you emotional support, they’ll do the trick as well!
3. Reduces Your Stress
Everyone can benefit from reducing stress in their everyday lives. The feeling of consistent love gives your mind a sense of emotional security. The feeling of being protected helps lower stress by creating a more balanced amount of neurochemicals.
Social interaction with those you feel loved by helps calm your stress and provides your mind with perspective. You can always talk to your loved ones about your problems; it’s a powerful resource to have for your life!
Feeling loved, along with these other tricks for dealing with stress, can help increase your mindfulness and lower your anxiety level.
4. Promotes a Healthier Lifestyle
The feeling of love gives you the inspiration to take care of yourself and make sure you’re in the best condition possible.
This isn’t only true with things like working out and eating right. It’s also true with things such as seeing a psychiatrist, making time for meditation, and taking time for yourself.
Those that feel a consistent amount of love feel a sense of responsibility to take care of their mental health, if not for themselves, then for their loved ones.
5. Improves Your Point of View on Life
Simply put, feeling love gives you more perspective on what’s really important in life. It helps you prioritize the things that actually matter.
You may not feel a whole lot of love from your boss or coworkers on a tough assignment, but your spouse and kids love you immensely, no matter what your job title is.
That provides a more positive point of view. It helps you focus on your loved ones over your job, not the other way around.
Not having a positive mindset on life can lead to further complications in your mental health. In this case, going with your heart is the right move for your happiness and mental strength.
Improve Your Mental Health Starting Today
Now that you’ve seen all the ways that love helps improve your mental health, you can hopefully see its importance in building mental strength.
Even if you’re not feeling a lot of love in your life right now, there are still ways to receive the help you need.
For more inquiries, please reach out via our contact us page and we’ll be delighted to work with you further!