What Are the Benefits of Being in a Relationship?
After all, emotional security is sought by many of us and although every couple has their respective differences and issues, having a partner can actually boost our physical and psychological well-being.
People with emotionally supportive partners are physically healthier
There are numerous benefits to being in a healthy, emotionally supportive relationship. I’m not sure being in a relationship, in general, can be classified as a good thing or as having benefits. Some relationships actually compound stress, limit personal growth and contribute to health issues.
There is research that shows that the negative benefits of having no social ties are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. So, the extreme reality of being completely isolated is detrimental.
Research that shows the benefits of being in a relationship is usually qualified with “emotionally supportive” or “close” or “healthy.” All the research I will refer to has these qualifications to it – which points to the reality that not all relationships have positive benefits.
They are proactive in staying healthy, seek help faster, and recover faster. People in healthy relationships experience less stress and are more likely to achieve their personal goals. People in healthy marriages create meaning together and meaning is shown to contribute to overall well-being and what researchers coin “the good life.“
Research around the concept of meaning shows that central to our human longing for meaning is a desire for connectedness. Being in a loving relationship fulfills this desire for connectedness and gives us meaning: we know that we matter to someone else and that we have a place in the world.
- Someone to have fun with and share experiences with.
- Better physical health.
- Longer life.
- Someone to support you in your personal goals and dreams. You are more likely to achieve your goals when you verbalize them to other people.
- A shared sense of meaning and purpose in life. Healthy couples create meaning together whether that’s sharing pursuits, contributing to a community together, practicing religion together, etc. Read More
