The Importance of Interpersonal Relationships for Your Health

Discover the benefits of having positive relationships with others.

Dozens of studies have shown that people who have strong relationships with friends, family, and community members are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. Its proven that maintaining interpersonal relationships is vital to our whole body wellness.

Interpersonal relationships, the sixth pillar of the our CREATION Life model, lay the foundation for all other pillars. When we conquer the art of relating and creating healthy relationships, not only does our health benefit, but our world around us can become less daunting, easier to cope with and we may find our true sense of belonging.

Meaningful Connections

What is an interpersonal relationship? Its a complex term for something pretty simple: any connection or interaction between two people or more. Family-member. Manager. Friend. Pastor. Teacher. These relationships are an essential part to our daily life. Not only do they provide us with distinct characteristics of whom and what we are, but they allow us to understand and relate with others.

Relationships keep us connected. They help us navigate our world, face challenges, celebrate wins and overcome stressful situations. Although they take work, good relationships are one of our greatest blessings. And when we invest in interpersonal relationships, these connections generate a sense of openness, generosity and goodwill.

Benefits of Interpersonal Relationships

We believe whole health care means nurturing every person in body, mind and spirit. Interpersonal relationships touch all these elements through their positive effect on:

• Stress reduction We all know that stress can have negative effects on your body. Prolonged stress can cause increased inflammation, depression, anxiety, anger, sleeplessness and fatigue. One to alleviate stress is to surround yourself with others who contribute to your happiness and positive outlook.
• Mental wellness If you surround yourself with love and support, you will absorb the positive energy that can support your emotional and mental health.
• Physical healing Positive support while you're healing from an injury or surgery is proven to help decrease recovery time. Your state of mind before, during and after a treatment can make a tremendous difference in the final outcome.

Positive social connections are at the core of mental and physical well-being and this includes the relationship you have with yourself. Keep in mind how important it is to surround yourself with people that radiate positivity, and be kind and positive to yourself as well. Your body and mind will be grateful for the nurture and love, and you will be reminded how meaningful relationships make life that much more fulfilling.

Whether your personal network is big or small, you deserve to live a happy, purpose-driven life with meaningful relationships.