Studies have shown that married people live, on average, about five years longer than people who are not married. These statistics lead to the question: does love help you live longer? While the numbers would seem to suggest love lengthens lifespan, it is a subjective emotion and nearly impossible to quantify. On the other hand, the data does suggest a link between marriage and longevity, so there must be a link of some kind.
Take a moment to think about the people that you love. Now take another moment to think about the people who love you. Okay, how do you feel? Most people will feel better when thinking about their loved ones, and that may be one of the reasons why people in a loving relationship live longer.
While researchers aren't completely sure, it seems that being in love helps to reduce stress. There is a growing amount of research showing how damaging stress can be on the body. It used to be believed that stress only caused mental distress, but now it has been shown to negatively impact the body on a cellular level.
Having somebody to blow off steam to will help you to get rid of life-shortening stress. However, this only works if you have complete trust in the person you love. Sometimes trust isn't easy, especially if you have been lied to in previous relationships, but developing mutual trust is the key to having a happy relationship.
Perhaps being in love also gives you a reason to live. Again, this isn't the kind of thing that can be quantified by science, but ask anybody who has been in love, and they will tell you that their life has a purpose.
The cynics among us may say that love extends the lifespan because there is somebody always telling us what not to do. Imagine somebody yelling at their spouse to stop drinking, stop hanging out with their "loser" friends, or to drive better. Sure, those things may help you to live longer, but a nagging spouse will only add to your stress level.
Does love help you live longer is really only part of the equation. See, it's not only how long you live, it's how much you enjoy it. The need for companionship is a strong survival instinct, and it can be a driving force that makes life worth living. There are few things sadder than the image of a lonely, elderly person staring blankly into space--no friends come to visit, no family, nobody special to keep them company. It's depressing. Now imagine the same person, but this time they are sitting in a cozy chair next to their spouse of 50 years; one is knitting and the other watching the evening news. All of sudden they stop doing what they're doing, they look at each other and smile lovingly, then they go back to what they were doing. Which scene makes you happier?
Does love help you live longer? The research suggests that it may, and experience says that love makes us happier as we get older.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment