05-01-2021
Posted By: Envision2bWell
It’s no doubt that relationships have morphed and transformed in 2020, much for the good and some not so much. What’s known however, is that having someone in your life that you deeply care about lengthens both your quality and longevity of life.
A 2017 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found unmarried people with heart disease were 52% more likely to have a heart attack or die from a cardiovascular problem after nearly four years compared with married heart patients. Another Harvard University study found that people with strong inter-personal relationships are usually happier, physically healthier and they live longer than people who are less connected.
Suffice it to say, being positively connected for long periods of time bring more value to our lives than we might realize.
Relationships with Our Partner
To keep relationships strong, especially considering the pandemic and the havoc it’s raised in many areas of our lives, making resolutions with one’s partner is one way to help stay strong and as happy as possible over this year. Read more from PEOPLE magazine’s report after interviewing two certified experts in the love arena, relationship therapist Jaime Bronstein and Stronger Than You Think author Dr. Gary Lewandowski, about New Year’s resolutions worth adding to any couple's list.
Relationships with Our Friends and Family
When you’re still stuck at home with pandemic stressors, how is it possible to keep relationships with family and friends vibrant and alive? When the thought of having a phone conversation or sending a long email feels exhausting?
Experts tell us that we fail at reconnecting with important friends and family because our goals are too ambitious. We have tended to focus our energies on getting the entire family on a video call or getting a large friend group together for an outing. When most of the the energy is spent herding people, you might find that you have little left to connect authentically. You also might find that group conversations are becoming largely superficial and unsatisfying. What to do?
The quickest way to strengthen your relationships with family and friends when much of it is virtual is to stop putting pressure on yourself to be an interesting human. Here are some thoughtful ideas and strategies to keep the energy where it needs to be – communicating authentically and with care. Spoiler Alert…. It begins by starting out small and being honest.
Healing a Relationship That Has Hit Rough Roads
No relationship is without its fair share of ups and downs. Times are such that people are constantly on the edge and are moving towards wanting to prioritize themselves over all else. Marriages that figure out how to defuse the landmines of coronavirus will continue stronger and will be more impervious to the ordinary potholes of relationship. Relationship experts SHARE a number of recommendations on how to bring partners closer together. Trusting in one another is very important.
Share with our readers any strategies, resolutions, and ideas that you have used to strengthen your relationships, whether it was your partner or friends or family. We'd love to learn.
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