Why Taking Care of Your Relationships is so Important for Your Mental Health
Your relationships are much more important than you may have ever believed. They can impact your physical health, happiness, and overall well-being. As a matter of fact, studies have found that those with a healthy, strong support system even live longer!
The Benefits of Caring for Your Relationships
Having a solid support system benefits not only your social health but your overall quality of life. However, strong relationships don't just happen. They require effort and care. That effort and care is well worth it, though, thanks to these many benefits of healthy relationships:
- Reduced feelings of loneliness
- Lower rates of depression and anxiety
- Heightened self-esteem and confidence
- Strengthened immune system
- Higher levels of motivation
- Greater levels of empathy
- Lower risk of mortality
The Impact of Loneliness on Your Well-being
Loneliness can have a significant impact on your health and well-being. It can affect your social health, which can often lead to social isolation, toxic relationships, and a lack of trust for others- deepening those feelings of loneliness.
Your social wellness isn't the only thing impacted by loneliness. Loneliness can begin to impact both your mental and physical health, leading to many problems like:
- Disruptions in sleep
- A change in appetite
- Heightened blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems
- A weakened immune system
- Increased stress, depression, and anxiety
- Lowered quality of life, life satisfaction, and contentment
- Heightened risk of suicide and self-harm
Loneliness can impact people of all different ages, whether they are young or old- and can have a devastating impact on a person's wellbeing no matter what walk of life they find themselves in.
The Importance of Quality Over Quantity
Hearing just how important our relationships are for our mental health may lead you to believe you need to surround yourself with more and more people in your life. That is not the case. Surrounding yourself with relationships that are not beneficial to you will not necessarily add any benefit to your life.
The most important thing to focus on for your relationships is the quality. You should surround yourself with people who leave you feeling loved and supported in the moments you need them the most.
Surrounding yourself with relationships wrought with drama, negative feelings, and turmoil will cause more harm than good. While positive, high-quality relationships will benefit both your mental and physical health, negative relationships will do the exact opposite.
Toxic relationships can leave a person feeling lonely, anxious, stressed, depressed, and drained of their mental health.
Surround yourself with relationships that lift you up. It doesn't matter how many relationships you have. The most important thing to focus on is the quality of them.
We Are Here for You
If you are having a hard time with your relationships, you aren't alone. Many people find that when their mental health is struggling, their relationships are struggling, as well. If this seems like the case with you, we are here to help. Contact us today, and our passionate and caring therapists will work to get you the mental healthcare you need.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8473615/
Keywords: couple's counseling, CBT, healthy relationships, mental health