Jessica
- Apr 15, 2021
- 2 min read

Benefits of being in Love

Updated: Apr 16, 2021

As the majority of people, we want to find ‘the one’ that special person we can share our lives with. So much so the average single person on the dating market, will spend “£1,349 a year” (metro, 2020) on dating. We take the dating game as seriously as buying a house.

Research suggests that being in love can improve your overall well being and even prolong your life expectancy. But why is finding love so important to us and what are the real benefits to falling in love?

Yellow stethoscope and red heart beside it for benefits of love on your health

Here are some reasons how falling in love can benefit you:

1. Less Stress- that's right even when dating can get stressful, being in a healthy and loving relationship can increase the ‘feel good hormones’ Oxytocin and Dopamine in the brain and can improve your mood. A 2010 study suggested single men and women tend to have higher levels of Cortisol (stress hormone) than couples and people in healthy relationships.

2. Improved Physical Health- Commitment to a long-term partner can even lower your risk of heart disease, speed up sickness recovery, lower blood pressure and boost immune health. Love truly conquers all.

3. Live Longer- Research conducted in 2011, showed that single people have a shorter life expectancy by 25% compared to people in loving and long-term relationships. Another study in 2012 identified a pattern of “People who were married, that underwent surgery were 2.5 times more likely to be still living 15 years later.” (Healthline, 2020)

4. Natural Pain Reliever- Although it can cause a headache from time to time, in the long-term a happy and healthy relationship can actually relieve pain symptoms, a study conducted in 2010, suggested that when you experience feelings of excitement, happiness, comfort, security in a newly developed relationship. In particular, when subjects were shown pictures of their romantic partner it triggers “reward systems in the human brain.” which in turn distract us from the pain at hand and have been shown to reduce significant levels of pain.

5.Less Depression and Anxiety- Similarly to stress reduction, being in love can lower depressive and anxious feelings. According to Dr Mirgain, clinical psychologist “We do better when we know that someone in our lives sees and appreciates us.” Being around someone you love and enjoy spending time with can have major effects on your overall well being and having someone encouraging and supportive in your life can improve your mental health. By reducing stress hormones, and instead triggers mood-enhancing chemicals like dopamine and adrenaline.

While it cannot cure depression, evidence has suggested that it can significantly improve.

You can see why we are biased when it comes to love.

If you’ve ever thought of throwing in the towel and quitting dating, maybe the following will encourage you to hang in there a bit longer and give love a chance.

Did any of these surprise you? Who knew love could be so beneficial for your health.