Presented by BetterHelp
Being in love can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of life. However, it can also be stressful and potentially harmful if you’re in an unhealthy relationship or in love with someone who doesn’t treat you well or notice you at all. While every situation is different, it can be important to be aware of the effects of love to understand its impact on your decision-making skills and overall quality of life. In this article, we’ll go over some of the physical and mental health effects of being in love, exploring how each one can influence your life and well-being.
What Are The Effects Of Being In Love?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be in a relationship with someone to be in love with them. This can create unique dynamics in your life and lead to both positive to negative outcomes. Below, we’ll cover some of the most common mental and physical effects of being in love.
Mental Health Effects
- Higher levels of dopamine: Dopamine is a feel-good chemical that gets released when you’re in love with someone. This can make you feel more energetic and even euphoric, causing you to crave more and more attention from your love interest—especially when you’re experiencing the first love effect.
- Persistent thoughts: When you’re in love with someone, you may constantly be thinking of them. These obsessive thoughts can lead you to want to spend all your time with them and be in near-constant contact.
- Jealousy: One of the potentially negative yet normal outcomes of being in love is jealousy. The root of jealousy is often feeling as if you’re going to lose your partner, potentially to someone that they find more interesting or attractive. Controlling jealous feelings and subsequent unwarranted accusations can be crucial to a healthy relationship.
- Happiness: Being in love can lead to higher levels of happiness, as you have someone to look forward to seeing and spending time with. Just being around your love interest can put you at ease and even give you a sense of purpose.
- Higher self-esteem: When you’re in love, it can improve your levels of self-esteem, as your partner or love interest may provide emotional support, encouragement, and validation. However, low self-esteem can be a negative outcome in unhealthy relationships.
Physical Effects
- Improved immune function: Being in love can help safeguard your health, preventing illness and allowing you to recover more quickly from ailments. When you’re stressed out by being in love, it can increase levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), making you more prone to getting sick.
- Lower blood pressure: When you’re in love, you may experience a reduction in your stress levels, which can lower your blood pressure. Maintaining healthy blood pressure can lead to numerous benefits, including a lower risk of stroke, heart attack, and death.
- Longer lifespan: Being in love can lead to a longer lifespan, as your partner or love interest may promote healthier habits and help stave off feelings of loneliness. Paired with stress reduction, a lower propensity to illness, and a reduced risk of mental illness, it can be easy to see why people who are in love live longer.
The impact of being in love varies from person to person, and its effects can extend well beyond what’s listed here. Noting how you’ve changed since falling in love can help you discern whether the changes are for the better or worse.
Conclusion
Being in love can be exciting or disheartening, depending on your situation. Being able to recognize its effects can help you figure out whether pursuing your love interest is what’s best for you, or if you may benefit from expending your energy elsewhere. By growing in self-awareness and taking steps that benefit your overall health and wellness, you can ensure you’re living a fulfilling life whether you’re in love or not.
