The mind-body 'relationship' in love

By Dr Valentina Lusini
Psychologist in training

---

Dear Reader

As we know, love is a powerful force that profoundly influences our well-being, not only emotionally, but also physically and psychologically. But what exactly do we mean by 'love'? According to the triangular theory of love by Sternberg (1986), we can define it as a balance between three fundamental components: intimacy, passion and commitment. Understanding these dynamics helps us better understand the impact of love on our lives.

First, let's talk about the psychological benefits. Numerous studies have shown that love is closely linked to psychological well-being and positive emotions (Singh & Dhingra, 2014). When we are in love, we tend to feel happy and satisfied, which has a beneficial effect on our emotional balance and overall satisfaction in life. (Anderson, 1977). Think about how you feel when you are with your loved one: you probably experience joy, serenity, enthusiasm. These positive emotions have a multidimensional impact on our behaviour, promoting general well-being.

But it is not only feeling loved that has positive effects. Experiencing feelings of love towards others also contributes significantly to improving our psychological and emotional well-being. (Kahana et al., 2021). It is as if giving and receiving love were two sides of the same coin, both essential for our balance.

Love also plays a crucial role in stress management. Did you know that simple physical contact with one's partner reduces the activation of brain areas associated with stress (Coan et al., 2006)? It is as if love acts as a protective shield, helping us to face difficult situations with greater serenity.

But the benefits of love are not limited to the psychological sphere. Our bodies also benefit. For example, in married couples where love is present, spouses tend to maintain a low cardiovascular reactivity during conflicts (Robles et al., 2014). In other words, their hearts remain calmer even in stressful situations. It is as if love is a balm for our cardiovascular system.

And what about the immune system? In romantic relationships where love is shared, the immune response tends to be more effective than in those where love is not present (Graham et al., 2007). Think of physical wounds: in couples with less hostile behaviour, they heal faster (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2005). It is amazing how love can even influence our body's healing processes!

But that is not all. Love can also act as a natural painkiller. Looking at photos of your loved one activates areas of the brain linked to the reward system, such as the caudate, the nucleus accumbens e the amygdala. This emotional connection causes a reduction in pain through neural processes (Younger et al., 2010). It is as if love were a medicine without side effects in practice.

Love is an essential ingredient for our well-being at 360 degrees which fosters positive emotions, strengthens relationships and mental resilience, helps us manage stress, boosts the immune system and even reduces pain. In short, cultivating love means taking care of yourself deep inside, both in mind and body. And you, how much space do you give to love in your life?

With affection,
The Psychology and Well-being Team🤗

---

 

Bibliography

Anderson, M. R. (1977). A study of the relationship between life satisfaction and self-concept, locus of control, satisfaction with primary relationships, and work satisfaction (Doctoral dissertation). Dissertation Abstracts International, 38(5-A), 2638-2639.

Coan, J. A., Schaefer, H. S., & Davidson, R. J. (2006). Lending a hand: Social regulation of the neural response to threat. Psychological Science, 17(12), 1032-1039. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01832.x.

Graham, J. E., Christian, L. M., & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2007). Close relationships and immunity. In R. Ader (Ed.), Psychoneuroimmunology (pp. 781-798). Elsevier Academic Press.

Kahana, E., Bhatta, T. R., Kahana, B., & Lekhak, N. (2021). Loving others: The impact of compassionate love on later-life psychological well-being. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(2), 391-402. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa188.

Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Loving, T. J., Stowell, J. R., Malarkey, W. B., Lemeshow, S., Dickinson, S. L., & Glaser, R. (2005). Hostile marital interactions, proinflammatory cytokine production, and wound healing. Archives of general psychiatry, 62(12), 1377-1384. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.12.1377.

Robles, T. F., Slatcher, R. B., Trombello, J. M., & McGinn, M. M. (2014). Marital quality and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(1), 140. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031859

Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119-135. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.93.2.119.

Singh, T. K., & Dhingra, A. (2014). Relationship of love, affect and well-being. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2(1), https://doi.org/10.25215/0201.060

Younger, J., Aron, A., Parke, S., Chatterjee, N., & Mackey, S. (2010). Viewing pictures of a romantic partner reduces experimental pain: Involvement of neural reward systems. PLOS ONE, 5(10), e13309. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0013309.

---

© 2025 Psychology and Well-being Centre GmbH - All rights reserved