Love Your Heart Healthy
February is National Heart Month. Traditionally it is a time to focus on cardiovascular health and what the American Heart Association dubbed “Life's Simple 7:” not smoking, regular physical activity, healthy diet, maintaining normal weight and controlling cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. This criterion is essential for heart health, but did you know that what a heart stands for can also have a dramatic effect on an individual's overall health? See below for just some of the surprising benefits of love, relationships, and physical touch.
Time together leads to lower blood pressure. Being around people you are close to cultivates a feeling of safety and security. Positive relationships calm anxiety and can even cause a dip in blood pressure due to perceived emotional support.
Hugs are like drugs. A warm embrace causes your body to release oxytocin, which makes you feel good, reduces stress, combats depression, and lowers blood pressure. The longer and more intentional the hug, the more effective it is!
Laughing is good exercise. Mental stress has been found to constrict blood vessels which restricts blood flow and leads to atherosclerosis. To reverse this unwanted cascade all you have to do is laugh! In fact, vasodilation from laughing is equivalent to what you would see in a person doing aerobic exercise or using statins. Since people are 30 times more likely to laugh when they are with others, it goes to show how important it is to have friends that you spend time with.
Write down your cholesterol. Research has shown that writing about sentimental relationships can reduce total cholesterol. Don't believe it? Give it a try!
Offer a hand of support. Support shown by holding hands, service rendered, or reassuring touch has a calming effect on the body. This calming feeling combats certain causes of heart disease. Giving service also increases your feeling of value and worth. It is true that the giver gets more than he gives!
Love heals. Generally, people with strong social support are those who have the quickest recoveries. This is largely attributed to the low levels of stress hormones, like cortisol, found in such patients.
It is obvious that good friendships, romantic relationships, and trustworthy camaraderie is good for your health and your heart. Take time to nourish those relationships and in return, you will be bolstered mentally, emotionally, and physically. Our tips for cultivating healthy relationships include:
1. Make time for your people. The people you love should be a top priority. Make sure they get penciled in your calendar too! This can look like outings, sharing meals, or even a conversation without distractions.
2. Think sparkle. Getting caught up in the daily grind and routines of life is easy to do. Be intentional about the relationships that mean the most to you by being present and by going out of your way to show your love, even once in a while. Add "sparkle" to your relationships by doing something out of the ordinary- write a note, leave an unexpected gift, perform a kind gesture, give service, etc.
3. Listen. If you want to show you care, listen. Avoid problem-solving until asked to do so. Your loved ones will sense your empathy and feel like you are really trying to understand them when you use your ears more than your mouth.
4. Be yourself. Be open and honest with those you love. Vulnerability increases the connection between two people and leads to a lasting, meaningful, and even therapeutic relationship.
5. Pick your battles. The best relationships let the little things go and work out the big issues together. Be selective with the arguments you engage in by asking what the long term consequence will be by winning (or losing) a battle. For instance, it may matter less that your child wants to wear mismatching clothes and more that he or she fusses about wearing a helmet. The same principle applies to adults.
6. Keep perspective. Situations change faster than behaviors do. Let us say you fell in love with someone who was spontaneous and funny; after you get married you accuse your spouse of not being able to plan ahead or take things seriously. Did your spouse change or did your perspective? If ever you find characteristics of your spouse irritating or troublesome, try to pull out the good from that trait. You may find that your partner is not actually slow, but thorough; or is not easy to anger, but protective. Your change of attitude will improve your relationship as you see the good in each other.
7. Have fun! Reap all the benefits of laughter, support, love, and physical connection with this last bit of advice: have fun! Recreation is a key component of healthy families and friendships. Recreation can take many shapes and forms: sports, games, outdoor activities, cooking, cleaning, learning a new skill or hobby are all examples as long as they are done together!
We hope you prioritize the people you love and choose to put effort into your relationships through the suggestions listed or otherwise. Doing so will add joy, longevity, and health to your life. The best way to show yourself some love is to give it to others.