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Mental health is affected by the number and quality of relationships you have throughout your life. Mental health and relationships go hand in hand. Humans are relational beings; we crave and require belonging. Healthy relationships support our mental health and promote a healthy mental state that creates a healthy relationship.
It's critical not to focus on trying to get everything you need out of a relationship. Instead, focus on building a social support network with a variety of relationships, from romance to friendship to sustaining your well-being and quality of life.
Any two people who support, encourage, and help each other practically can help you have a positive relationship. Our relationships with friends, family, and coworkers keep us safe and healthy during times of struggle, change, and uncertainty.
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As social support is an important part of being human, when social relationships break down or are damaged, it can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being.
Importance of Mental Health in Relationship
Good relationships are not just a bonus — they are essential to our well-being. According to a study, being surrounded by people improves all aspects of our physical, emotional, and mental health.
While you don't have to be romantically involved to reap the benefits of a healthy relationship, there's evidence that a healthy romantic relationship can improve mental health.
Here are five benefits of having healthy relationships. Some are only applicable to romantic relationships, while others are not:
1) Reduces Stress in Relationship
Being in a committed relationship is associated with lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
It suggests that people who are paired are less sensitive to psychological stress, and that the social and emotional support that comes with having a partner can be a great stress buffer.
There's even evidence to suggest that cohabiting couples are happier than those who do not. Focusing on each other's mental health can enhance relationships. Knowing that someone loves and supports you as you go about your day, even if the person is not physically present, is a great mental health booster.
2) Improved Healing
Whether it's having someone to remind you to take your medicine or having a partner to help take your mind off pain, research shows that long-term partners who have undergone heart surgery are three times more likely than single patients in surviving the first three months after surgery.
Long-term partners also report feeling more confident in their ability to deal with post-surgery pain and are less concerned about their surgery in general.
A little emotional support can go a long way towards assisting someone in recovering from surgery or mental illness. When you become aware of the illness your partner is experiencing, you gain a better understanding of their mental health.
3) Healthier habits
A healthy mind leads to healthy habits. Healthy relationships set the tone for a healthy lifestyle, in general.
If your spouse, friends, or other loved ones encourage eating a healthy diet, exercising, and not smoking, you're more likely to follow suit. It's much easier to adopt healthy habits when you're surrounded by people who are doing the same. You are also likely to engage in habits when you have a positive mental health.
4) Purpose and Meaning
When we actively start working on our mental well-being, we're able to engage in a meaningful process.
Many people want to feel like they're doing something good for others and making the world a better place. Being in a loving relationship, of any kind, can provide a person with a sense of well-being and purpose. Having a sense of purpose may add years to your life.
5) Increased Lifespan
In terms of adding years to your life, research suggests that having social ties can help you live longer.
Everyone is different and has different needs and desires when it comes to relationships, stress management, and living a meaningful life. If you prefer to be alone, that's typical, but attempting to form a few close relationships can provide noticeable benefits to your mental and physical health.
Unhealthy relationships, meanwhile, can quickly become a source of stress or trigger for mental illness. It's critical to cultivate relationships with people who promote healthy habits and offer emotional support.
Having at least one good friend (or trusted coworker, therapist, or counselor) to help you work through issues like social anxiety or depression can be invaluable. It may be difficult, but it may also be exactly what you require. Even having one or two strong, healthy relationships in life can improve health.
Takeaway
Mental health is not an end state but rather a cumulation of actions we take towards it in everyday life. Whether it's at an individual level, group level, or societal level, we must take steps to maintain and enhance it.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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