4 IDEAL REASONS MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

It’s no news that friends are important to health and happiness. Friends are the family that we choose, we love them despite their annoying qualities and when it comes to happiness and friendship, there is no end to the correlations.

In the past, maintaining friendships was perhaps more difficult. However, SunLife’s campaign shows that the way we communicate over the past 100 years has changed dramatically. Indeed, with today’s technology, staying connected has never been easier and allows us to nurture friendships, whether or not we’re in the same town, country or even continent.

Nonetheless, even though we can send messages, emoticons and selfies with the intended party receiving them instantly, sometimes life gets in the way and those all important friendships can begin to wane. Some even argue that technology is ruining friendships. So, hoping to inspire you to keep your social life well and truly alive, here are 4 IDEAL reasons maintaining friendships is important for your health and happiness.

BOOSTS YOUR MOOD & REDUCES STRESS

A 2011 study highlights that spending time with your friends can help decrease your stress levels; triggering our essential endorphin system, which in turn boosts our mood, reducing the stress we may feel. Don’t believe us? A study conducted by Oxford Economics discovered that in a survey of British adults, those who always eat alone score drastically lower in happiness points, showing that a little company goes a long way. 

INCREASES YOUR SENSE OF BELONGING AND PURPOSE

Feeling that you belong is so important. Not only can it can help you see value in life, it can also help you cope with painful emotions. According to Karyn Hall, Ph.D., director of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Center in Houston, “A sense of belonging to a greater community improves your motivation, health and happiness,” and “When you see your connection to others, you know that all people struggle and have difficult times. You are not alone. There is comfort in that knowledge.”

GOOD FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

Whether you know it or not, your friends have shaped in to who you are today and they will continue to do so for the rest of your life. Friends allow you the chance to increase your knowledge and learn about new things, whether it’s through telling you a story about themselves of through shared experiences. Our friends can open our eyes up to the world, present us with new ideas and help us grow as a person.

HELPS YOU TO BE FITTER AND LIVE LONGER 

Along with the benefits to your mental wellbeing, scientists have discovered that maintaining close friendships can improve your physical health. In fact, it has been shown that people who have close, long-lasting friendships live longer than those without. As our friends reduce our stress levels and anxiety, it can, in turn, lower our blood pressure and even reduce the risk of illness, such as coronary heart disease. Quite like hitting the gym, maintaining friendships can even help us fight obesity.

Friendships are as vital to our health, both physical and mental, as eating the right food, exercising and getting enough sleep. Loneliness and isolation can attribute to a shorter, unhappy life, so cherishing, nurturing and valuing every friendship we make is crucial. However, it doesn’t mean we have to settle for those friends who make us feel less-than-great. Cutting toxic and negative people from your life, whether old school friends or brand new, can transform your stress and anxiety levels, and improve your wellbeing. So, look at the bigger picture and embrace the art of social connections.

Everybody's clicking on

Like That? You'll Love This...

Read our latest content...