How to improve your marriage or romantic relationships? Good question. It can be a challenge. After all, humans are wired to seek out partners who will help us reproduce, which can pose a problem when our significant others don’t necessarily share the same values or desire to have children.
In this blog and in my “Between Men and Women” Couples Communication Retreat, my purpose is to show you how you can better maintain a healthy relationship or marriage with your partner. Toward that end, it’s helpful to understand how hormones and relationship dynamics are connected. There are many ways that hormones impact the quality of our relationships — for good and for bad.
Disclaimer – This post is not intended to provide medical advice and in no way endorses, opposes, encourages or discourages hormone therapies, treatments, or supplementation of any sort. Always consult medical professionals for their advice.
What Are Hormones and How Can They Improve Your Marriage?
This is the million-dollar question. The best way to understand how hormones can help to improve your marriage or relationship (or make it worse!) is to understand how they work in the body. Hormones are biological messages that the body sends out to regulate many processes, including sexuality, metabolism, growth, sleep, mood, and more. Men and women produce different amounts of hormones and their levels change throughout their lives as a result of certain factors. Relationship hormones are particularly interesting, as they play an important role in building and maintaining a successful relationship.
In the same way that a person’s diet affects their health and well-being, hormones play an important role in a couple’s health and quality of life. If a person’s diet is poor, they may experience numerous health issues, but if they make dietary changes, they may be able to reduce their negative symptoms and boost their quality of life. The same can be said for hormones. While there are many factors that play a role in a person’s quality of life, a person’s hormones can play a major role in how they experience those factors.
Testosterone and the Drive to Mate
Testosterone is the “male’” hormone and is associated with high levels of desire, libido, and drive. This hormone drives men to seek adventure, create new things, and explore the world around them.
In a relationship, testosterone helps a man feel motivated and excited about his partner, as well as feel confident and sexy. This is an important hormone to understand, as it is the very reason that many men have trouble connecting with their partners.
When a man’s testosterone levels are high enough, he will usually have no trouble finding a partner who shares his desire for adventure, new experiences, and confidence.
Unfortunately, when a man’s testosterone levels are low, he may find himself feeling lethargic, unmotivated, and shy around women. It is important to note that this is a result of less testosterone rather than more estrogen, so a man experiencing symptoms of low drive may not have a high estrogen problem.
Additionally, men who experience low testosterone often blame their partner’s body or her personality for his low desire. Unfortunately, this is a common misconception that can lead to partner criticism and low self-esteem.
Estrogen and Feelings of Trust
Estrogen is associated with feelings of trust and security. This hormone plays an important role in developing a woman’s capacity for intimacy.
(Want to know how to grow trust in your relationship or marriage? Find out here.)
In a healthy relationship, a woman’s estrogen levels increase as she becomes more comfortable opening up with her partner.
In contrast, when a woman’s estrogen levels are low, she may feel anxious, tense, or overwhelmed. This is often a result of low levels of estrogen. Sadly, however, it is also common for women to blame themselves for feeling this way. This self-ridicule often occurs when women assume that low levels of estrogen are caused by a problem with their bodies, such as a large amount of fat in the body or eating too much sugar. Unfortunately, this often leads to feeling ashamed and guilty when, in fact, the low estrogen is actually caused by a problem with the relationship.
Oxytocin and Bonding
Oxytocin is the “cuddle hormone”. It plays an important role in creating and maintaining a bond between a man and a woman.
In a healthy relationship, oxytocin levels increase as partners cuddle, kiss, or make love. On the other hand, oxytocin levels often decrease as people blame themselves for their partners’ abusive behavior or low self-esteem.
Progesterone and Feeling Safe
Progesterone is associated with feelings of safety and security. This hormone is often low in women who have been abused or who have partners who have threatening behavior.
Dopamine and Feeling Valued
Dopamine plays an important role in feeling valued. This is the “happiness hormone” that is associated with joy, creativity, and resilience.
Low levels of dopamine have been linked to emotional and behavioral disorders, as well as low self-esteem.
Healthy partnerships produce high levels of dopamine. For example, a man who feels valued by his partner usually experiences high levels of this hormone. Dopamine levels also get a boost when partners have one another feel loved and accepted.
Estradiol and Reaching Physical Intimacy
Estradiol is often linked to reaching physical intimacy. This hormone is often responsible for a woman’s sexual desire, sexual responsiveness, and sexual satisfaction.
Conclusion
If you want to improve your marriage or romantic relationship, understanding the role of hormones is an important step. However, hormones are not responsible for your connection with your partner. The quality of your relationship can affect hormone levels, and therefore, the impact they have on your relationship. Hormone levels can also be affected by lifestyle factors such as your diet, exercise, and sleep.
It is also important to understand that it may take time for your hormone levels to change, and this process may require patience and consistency. Hormones are powerful biological messengers that can have both positive and negative impacts on the quality of your relationships. Understanding how they work and how they can impact your relationship will help you make healthier choices, and may even help you identify areas where you’re experiencing hormone imbalances.
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment below to let us and our readers know your thoughts and experiences. We all learn from each other. To Your Greatness!