How Relationships Affect Health in a Huge Way
Have you ever wondered how much the people around you contribute to your well-being? Some of the people in your circle may even take away from your well-being.
We all know that having good relationships can have the biggest impact on your health and life expectancy. It’s true unless you have bad relationships. Even one bad relationship can be detrimental.
We have all had a bad relationship with either a parent, sibling, friend, or those you even used to look up to. Their problems bleed into yours like a cancer and disrupt your vibes. Don’t forget that it takes both parties in a relationship to keep it unhealthy. Check out how “your vibe attracts your tribe” in this article.
What Does Research Say
Research was conducted to quantify qualities of relationships in a study using 9,000 men and women. They were surveyed on their relationships and unhealthy aspects still existing in their close relationships.
The ones who had more bad aspects in their relationships had a 34 percent more chance of having heart problems. Various factors such as weight and social support were also taken into consideration. 34 percent is a pretty big difference.
A study done by the Portland State Institute on Aging reported that over 600 adults for over 2 years and found that continuous conflict with others was strongly linked to health issues and lower confidence in their own state of health. Stress due to relationships with negative people, or environments has a huge impact on the immune system.
What Happens to an Ignored Negative Relationship
Keeping in your anger and feelings of resentment is incredibly unhealth in a relationship. Research suggests that couples usually die younger when one partner keeps in their anger. Relationships where both partners hold in their anger have the worst duration. Looking at the results of this research, your partner’s unhealthy nagging might be increasing the longevity of your relationship in other ways.
In some couples, one partner might be totally unhappy, while the other is totally unaware. Conflict is something you cannot dodge in a relationship, but a bad relationship can be fixed through conflict. So don’t keep an unhealthy level of suppression between both of you. Let it out!
How To Solve Bad Relationships
Interacting with friends and family is great. It increases life expectancy and keeps your brain healthy a long with many other benefits. However, interacting with friends with negative vibes and actions can make you less healthy. I think you know who the people I’m talking about are in your life.
The best thing you can do is spend more time with the people you enjoy being around and minimize time spent with those less-pleasant people in your life. Some negative people cannot be avoided, especially if they are family. You will have to manage yourself around these people, not for their sake but for yours.
Many people think conflict in a relationship is bad but it’s quite the opposite if handled effectively. Keeping things in is the worst thing you can do for any relationship. No matter if you are in the wrong or not in a conflict, communication and expressing yourself is key to keeping a happy relationship.
Sources:
Roberto De Vogli, PhD, MPH; Tarani Chandola, DPhil; Michael Gideon Marmot, PhD, FRCP. Negative Aspects of Close Relationships and Heart Disease. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(18):1951-1957.