10 Health And Beauty Benefits Of Being In Love

By Ilene Dillon, Linda Marie, RN, BSN, Rebecca Roy, MFT. Posted on Feb 6th 2011.

What's the point of being in love anyway? Better health and looks, for starters.

We are frequently looking for a magic pill to help us feel better and happier. What is the one thing you can do in your life to feel happy, look good and feel good? The answer is love! Here YourTango Experts examine 10 health and beauty benefits of love.

1. More energy. Emotional love works to lift spirits and physical love (sex) leads to better all-around mental and physical health. So much for re-energizing with an afternoon nap—try an afternoon romp instead!

More from YourTango: Do My Rape Fantasies Make Me A Weirdo?

2. Look and feel younger. A happy love life means more smiles and laughter. Research shows that people who stay positive look and feel better as they age than those who don't.
—Linda Marie, Dating/Life Coach

3. More generosity = more happiness. The most positive things about most people's day is doing things for or with others. Positive Psychology teaches us the paradox: Giving is receiving. What better place to practice "giving and receiving" than in relationships? Loving others allows us to focus on the joys of giving, yet allows us to more graciously accept what is given to us, as well. (Seligman, Ryff, Snyder, Lopez)

4. Less stress. Being "in love" allows us to accept another person's influence and assistance, which according to relationships expert and researcher John Gottman, is a big predictor of marital (and relationship) success. This is particularly important for men, who feel more pressure to be in charge and to be the decision-maker, and so benefit from the reduced stress of sharing the load. Stress Management: Balancing Work And Love

5. Emotional and spiritual growth. This kind of growth can occur during a relationship, when our hearts and minds are more open. Even dealing with a failed relationship can help send us towards a higher personal state, as divorce research has shown us. 4 Love Lessons From Gandhi
—Ilene Dillon, Counselor/Therapist

6. Longer, healthier life. Since 1979, the National Longitudinal Mortality Study has been studying more than a million subjects and found that married people generally outlive unmarrieds. Moreover, married people have been found to have lower cancer rates and unlikely to suffer pneumonia than singles. Researchers at the University of Iowa also found that ovarian cancer patients with happy and fulfilling relationships had higher white blood cell counts.

Get more expert advice!

Article contributed by

View profile

Advanced Member

Ilene Dillon

Counselor/Therapist

Ilene Dillon

Radio Host, Coach, Author and Speaker

Be sure to get your Free 10-page article, Incredible Ways to Communicate That Result in Incredible Kids!

Ilene Dillon is a frequent radio guest, an Expert writing on several relationships and parenting sites, and is host of Full Power Living, focused on emotions in life. Ilene helps you Parent Consciously, as you lead your kids to develop mastery over anger and other emotions. Ilene's "Emotional Foundations for Life" series, includes The ABCs of Anger.

Connect with Ilene by subscribing to her Free Newsletter, Incredible Kids

Credentials: Marriage & Family Therapist and Clinical Social Worker

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

website: raiseincrediblekids.com

Location: Kentfield, CA

Credentials: LCSW, LMFT

Website: http://www.raiseincrediblekids.com

20 Things Parents Need to Teach Kids About Emotions

By Ilene Dillon

20 Things to Parents Need to Teach Kids About Emotion Does the thought of teaching your child to deal with his or her emotions feel overwhelming to you? For many generations, people have worked hard to ignore, repress and vilify their emotions, leaving most parents unknowledgeable about them. Fortunately, people are increasingly recognizing that emotions ... Read more

10 Ways To Help Your Kids Cope With Your Divorce

By Ilene Dillon

Divorce is not easy for anyone, and it can be especially difficult for children. Kids experience the acute scrambling of their world, while their parents wrestle with their complex emotions. With both parents in distress, or one parent suddenly missing, family love is torn asunder, and the children often experience confusion, terror, pain, anger and grief. ... Read more

Anger: Our Most Active Emotion

By Ilene Dillon

Last time, I asked whether you want to “manage” anger, or to really “master” it. A master is in charge, knowing how anger works, why you’re working with it, what to do to change it, its liabilities and benefits, and what to do if you don’t want to keep getting angry/frustrated/vexed/irritated the same old ways. Are you ... Read more