Love Kick: Merely Thinking About Your Partner Noticeably Boosts Mood and Energy

It may sound like a fairytale, but experts are claiming that simply thinking about your romantic partner can give you a "rush of good stress" that seems to both unlock new reserves of energy and improve mood. 

Experts have long known that depression can quite literally drain a person of their energy, both psychologically with a drop in drive andphysically, with a state of elevated stress actually exacerbating how much energy the body uses.

Previous studies have also shown that positive feelings, such as the kind of contentedness from a successful romantic relationship, have been shown to protect individuals from physical and mental illnesses.

Now, researchers have found that feelings of love might actually make a person healthier. That is, according to a new study published in the journal Psychophysiology.

To determine this, a research team led by Sarah Stanton tracked blood glucose levels in 183 participants before and after they were asked to think about their current romantic partner.

According to the study, which was authored by Stanton, when participants were asked to think about their romantic partner, there was a slight but noticeable increase in energy supply. However, when the participants were asked to switch their thoughts over to their morning routine or someone who was just a friend, there was actually a consistent decline in energy levels.

"Essentially, love gives you a 'rush' both physically and psychologically," Stanton explained in a recent release. "The 'stress' of love is linked with positive emotions, not negative emotions of any kind."

Stanton calls this rush a type of "stress" because previous studies have found that cortisol - the steroid hormone traditionally associated with the adverse effects of stress - is released when a person thinks about their romantic partner.

What was strange was that this cortisol didn't appear to be inflicting any even temporary harm. This new study attempts to link this unusual cortisol to elevated glucose levels. However, a cause-and-effect relationship has yet to be established.