Topics Map > Self Care > Family, Friends, & Coworkers > Patient
An Introduction to Family, Friends, and Coworkers
What do my relationships with friends, family, and coworkers have to do with my health?
It takes just a minute to realize how relationships can affect our emotional, mental, and physical health. First, think back to a time when you had difficulty with a friend, family member, or significant other. How did you feel? How did your feelings show up in your body? Did your heart race, or was your face hot? Were your breaths shallow, and did you feel shaky? It is common for emotions to cause physical reactions. Perhaps that is where the phrase “heartbreak” comes from.
Now, think of a time when you felt supported, loved, and at ease. You may have been with a family member, a close friend, or perhaps a pet. The memory may include pleasant and comforting physical sensations. Maybe your heartbeat slowed and became steady. Or perhaps you felt warmth in your hands or elsewhere in your body. Perhaps you felt a release of tension in your shoulders.
Research helps explain what is happening when we have physical feelings. For example, when we feel lonely and isolated, the stress hormone, cortisol, increases. When we feel loved and supported, the hormone oxytocin increases. The brain also may trigger either the “fight or flight” stress response or the “rest and digest” relaxation response.1
Stress can affect our daily life in many ways, such as interfering with our digestion and our ability to rest and sleep. Loving and supportive relationships with others can have a protective effect on our bodies when we experience stress. The effect of stress is decreased when we experience love and connection with those we care about. Having close, loving, and supportive relationships can greatly improve our health and well-being.2
If we are under stress and do not have support, our health can worsen. Our health can also worsen if our relationships are stressful. On the other hand, our health may be better if we have supportive and loving people in our lives.3,4 Research shows that our relationships can affect our risk of getting a cold, or even having a heart attack.5,6