1. Falling in love is like being on drugs.
One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the exhilaration you experience when you fall in love is the same feeling drug addicts experience. You get a natural high from these actions because they cause the production of feel-good hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline.
2. Hugging your partner is an instant stress reliever.
Are you anxious? Hug the person you love till they cry. Researchers from the University of North Carolina's department of psychiatry discovered that couples who hugged had higher amounts of the hormone oxytocin, which lowers stress and improves happiness.
3. A happy heart is a healthy heart.
Your life is improved both emotionally and physically when you are in a loving relationship. Up to the age of 50, married persons were 12 percent less likely to develop vascular disorders than their divorced or single counterparts, according to a meta-analysis of more than 3.5 million people countrywide.
4. Animals commit to monogamous relationships, too.
Monogamous partnerships are not exclusive to human beings in the animal kingdom. Among the 25 Adorable Animals That Mate for Life in the Wild are beavers, otters, wolves, seahorses, and barn owls.
5. Couples' heartbeats synchronize.
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis, when you and your spouse look into each other's eyes, your heart rates are actually synchronizing. The researchers examined 32 heterosexual couples who sat facing one another for three minutes and discovered that their heart rates were practically equal. They hypothesized that this occurred because partners had a strong emotional and physical connection, which may have caused this.
6. Being in love is the number one reason why people wed.
In a 2013 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, the majority of Americans — nearly nine in ten — indicated love as a key reason for getting married, while only 28% of respondents listed financial security as a key consideration.
7. Remarriage is becoming more popular.
Divorced people are finding love and happiness with new relationships and remarriages more than ever before. Compared to a far lower 13 percent in 1960, 23 percent of married adults in 2013 had at least one prior divorce.
8. Love is chemically addictive.
Helen E. Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University, stated in a 2006 TED Talk that "[romantic love] is a really profoundly lovely addiction when things are going well." The reason for this is that the hormones your brain produces when you're in love are so powerfully euphoric that they have the power to make you physically addicted to both love and the person you're in love with.
9. Cuddling is good for you.
There's a good reason you cherish those special cuddle times so much. When you and your spouse snuggle, the happiness hormone oxytocin is released, which elevates your mood and wellbeing. Because of how frequently this event occurs, oxytocin is frequently referred to as the "cuddling hormone" or the "love hormone."
10. It eases chronic pain.
Even if love won't soon replace medical medicine, it might be useful if you ever find yourself in excruciating pain. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine discovered in one study that the brain reacts in the same way to a warm, fuzzy feeling and painkillers (without any of the harmful potential side effects).
11. Being in a relationship positively shapes your personality.
According to the results of one study published in the Journal of Personality, even the most pessimistic people can improve with a little love in their lives. The scientists who conducted the study observed 245 young couples for nine months and discovered that being in a relationship, probably because of all the positive feelings and experiences connected to the partnership, indirectly increased neurotic partners' optimism and self-confidence.
12. Honesty makes for a lasting relationship.
Honesty really is the best policy when it comes to love and relationships. According to a study that appeared in the journal Personal Relationships, long-term relationships are more likely to succeed when couples are open and honest with one another about how things are going.
13. Loving from a long distance actually strengthens a relationship.
Long-distance relationships can and will succeed, despite what some people may attempt to convince you. This is supported by studies. In fact, a research in the Journal of Communication found that long-distance relationships are not only just as successful as local ones, but also more successful at fostering trust and fulfillment among partners.
14. Love and laughter go hand in hand.
Consider viewing a new comedy series with your partner if you want to feel more connected to them. Researchers found that, compared to couples who didn't laugh together, couples who laughed together were more supportive of one another and had higher levels of relationship satisfaction.
15. Being in love cuts headache frequency in half.
Love may be the magic cure you've been looking for if you have persistent headaches and are unable to find any relief from the discomfort. A nasal spray containing oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," was administered to participants with chronic headaches by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine. After four hours, participants reported a 50% reduction in head pain, with an additional 27% reporting no pain at all.
16. People find it in the most unexpected of places.
You just never know where you'll run into your true love. Approximately one in every 50 tourists has found their soulmate while traveling, according to an HSBC poll of more than 5,000 passengers.
17. Men fall in love faster than women.
Despite the common misconception that women are more emotional than men, a study published in The Journal of Social Psychology discovered that males actually had a tendency to fall in love and declare their love more quickly. The researchers speculate that this may be because females are more cautious about having their hearts crushed, even if they don't know for sure why this is the case.
18. Being in love saves you money on trips to the doctor.
One startling finding of the Health and Human Services Department's analysis of studies comparing marriage and health was that married persons reported fewer medical visits and shorter hospital stays. Harry Reis, PhD, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, told WebMD that "the best logic for this is that human beings have been built by nature to live in tightly knit social groups." The biological processes get overtaxed when that doesn't happen.
19. It helps you heal faster.
It offers more than just emotional support to have a loved one by your side while you're ill or hurt. When married couples were given blister wounds, Ohio State University Medical Center researchers discovered that the wounds healed twice as quickly when the spouses had a strong bond as opposed to when they were openly antagonistic against one another.
20. It lowers your blood pressure.
Hypertension, often known as high blood pressure, has been connected to everything from heart disease to stroke. Fortunately, a study discovered that just being content in a marriage contributes to low blood pressure, so don't forget to give your spouse a hearty thank you for keeping you healthy!
21. It develops in phases.
When Harvard researchers closely examined the development of romantic love, they found that it proceeds in stages of intensity, starting with an obsession and gradually mellowing out into a more mature iteration of itself. This finding is consistent with what anyone who has ever experienced the emotion already knows.
22. It makes you more empathetic and in tune with your emotions.
Your brain reacts appropriately when you meet someone who inspires you to be your best self. The social connection that results from being in a romantic relationship activates the area of the brain involved for selflessness and emotional processing, according to a study that was published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience.
23. It has as much to do with scent as it does with visuals.
According to relationship therapist Rhonda Milrad, LCSW, "For both men and women, how someone smells and whether you are intrinsically pulled to that perfume goes a long way in deciding your attraction." Pheromones, molecules released in sweat that can trigger sexual excitement, are entirely responsible for that.
24. The world's longest marriage lasted for 86 years.
Just tell them to look up Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher the next time one of your friends attempts to convince you that true love doesn't exist. The late pair, who had been wed for an astounding 86 years and 290 days at the time, broke the record for the longest marriage in history in February 2011, according to Guinness World Records. The couple previously remarked, "There's no secret to our marriage—we simply did what was necessary for each other and our family.
25. It makes you do things you probably shouldn't…
like breaking out of prison to see your loved one. At the very least, that is what happened to Joseph Andrew Dekenipp, an Arizona prisoner who escaped his cell on Valentine's Day in order to meet his lover.
26. Online dating actually works.
Don't give up just yet if you haven't discovered your true love on a dating website like Match.com or OKCupid. A 2020 Pew Research survey found that 13% of Americans said they had met their spouse or partner online.
27. A commoner became the Queen of Norway thanks to true love.
Prior to becoming the monarch of Norway, Queen Sonja was a garment retailer's daughter who secretly dated Crown Prince Harald. On August 29, 1968, the two tied the knot after Harald finally let his father know that Sonja had to be by his side for any marriage to work. Sometimes, love is stronger than everything.
28. Red roses are the flowers of love.
Have you ever questioned the reason behind all the roses you see around Valentine's Day? This is because to the fact that Venus, the Roman goddess of love, officially favors the vibrant blossoms.
29. Love and lust light up different areas of the brain.
Scientifically speaking, don't anticipate your one-night stand to develop into something more. According to studies, while being in love stimulates the brain areas related to empathy, unadulterated desire activates the related but distinct brain regions related to motivation and reward.
30. It helps you live longer.
Love comes first, followed by marriage, then living a longer life. Over an eight-year period, married people had a 58 percent lower mortality rate than single people, according to a study that appeared in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
31. "Quality time" isn't just a saying.
A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that the more time you invest in a romantic relationship, the better you feel personally. (However, if you're not already very content with your partner, the advantages aren't the same.)
32. Compassion takes practice—and actually changes your brain chemistry.
According to Psychology Today, "mindfulness and compassion meditations increase activity in brain regions linked to empathy and positive emotions, decrease activity in brain regions linked to fear, and increase connectivity in our brains—a characteristic associated with the secure attachment pattern." In other words, the more you show compassion to your spouse, the simpler it will be to comprehend their perspective and the stronger your sense of connection will be.
33. Kissing serves a biological function.
It's in his kiss, as Betty Everett (and Cher) said. Men and women utilize early lip-locks to judge whether or not a possible match is suited for them, while women place more importance on them, according to a study published in the journal Arch Sex Behavior. According to the survey, couples in long-term relationships place a high importance on kissing since it strengthens bonding.
34. "Love at first sight" really happens.
A 2017 study indicated that "love at first sight" isn't always just a case of looking at the past through rose-colored glasses, as reported by Psychology Today. Men were more likely than women to report falling in love with a possible partner at first sight in the survey responses. Even while those intense, initial sentiments don't include everything that passionate love is, they can inspire someone to look further.
35. The butterflies will go away eventually, and that's okay.
The butterflies in your stomach you experience when meeting someone new are not a sign that you will stay together forever. According to scientists, it's only a physiological lust reaction. Therefore, it's okay if you feel relaxed rather than tense when your partner enters the room. According to neuroscientist Nicole Gravagna, PhD, "true love is a well-being feeling that does not entail nervousness or excitement," and after five years of dating, dopamine and endorphin levels "reduce to just modestly enhanced levels compared to the pre-relationship level.
