With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you know, the holiday of looove, we thought it would be fitting to talk about what our minds and bodies do when we’re “in love”. Now, typically the first organ we think of when we talk about love is typically the heart, but it’s really in our brain where everything goes down. Allow us to explain.
You know that over-the-moon giddy feeling you get when you start seeing someone new or even when you see them or hear their name? You can thank the neurotransmitter known as dopamine for that euphoric feeling. Basically, your brain’s reward system relies on dopamine to reinforce behaviors that give you pleasure such as eating, listening to music, seeing people you love, etc. So when you’re simply thinking about a person that interests you, you will likely experience a dopamine rush, then again when you actually see the person.
When you love someone they tend to be all you think about, maybe so much so that you start dreaming about them. This is all thanks to the part of your brain known as the anterior cingulate cortex. This brain region is also linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder which is likely to be why you can’t get this person off of your mind.
While we tend to think of jealousy as something bad, it’s actually a very normal emotion. Using jealousy wisely can have positive effects on your relationship by promoting both bonding and attachment.
Now there are also some physical effects love can have on your mind as well as your body, such as improved overall health. Decreased risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, improved immune health, and faster recovery from illnesses. Pain relief, a longer lifespan, and feelings of passion are also effects falling and being in love can have on you physically.
Now comes the kicker; here are just a few ways love can affect us negatively.
Being in a committed relationship means people typically see a decrease in stress, but when the love is fresh and new, it’s not uncommon for stress levels to spike. This stress is usually because you feel as though you’re in a high-stake situation or you may be in the dark wondering how the other person feels.
Love can cause all kinds of physical symptoms that don’t feel so pleasant, such as stomach flutters or “butterflies” or you may even experience sweaty palms, anxiety, or whatever the scientific term for stumbling over your words is.
A lot of people will experience a change in their appetite or sleeping pattern, which are generally not fun changes to experience.
And last but not least, love affects our judgment. When you’re really in love the two parts of your brain that you rely on to detect danger and make decisions go into hibernation mode which means you severely lack these skills. So if you’ve ever done something dangerous to impress someone you love, that’s why. Lack of judgment is also often the culprit of not being able to detect red flags.