Hanging With Your Friends Is More Than Just Good For Your Soul - It Legitimately Boosts Your Health
Good friends never go out of style — but did you know they're also good for your health? According to a study done by Mayo Clinic, there's a direct correlation between friendship and good health. If you've ever turned to your friends on a bad day, then you can likely attest to the joy and relief good friendships bring. In terms of our overall well-being, however, friendship goes beyond our emotions and can better our physical, mental, and emotional health.
The way you feel after hanging out with your friends says everything, and that's why everyone should get in the habit of reevaluating their friendships. Friends can lift us up and, unfortunately, can sometimes bring us down. All of this affects the way we think, feel, and act, meaning good friendships can genuinely improve our health. It's a known truth that we are the company we keep, but how often do we consider friendships as a way of maintaining our health? And how, really, can friends be an aid to a long-lasting life? We've got the answers you're looking for.
Friends combat loneliness through diverse perspectives
Have you ever been given a piece of advice from a friend that's stuck with you since? That's because our friends typically hold perspectives entirely different from our own, which can lead to solutions you've never thought of before. While isolation is a state of being we all engage in, loneliness is its own specimen that feeds off our darkest thoughts. With friends around, we're less prone to getting in our own heads and more likely to believe what we're told, which can make all the difference.
Finding the right friends is a privilege in itself, but when it's achieved, it's almost impossible to feel lonely. Strong social connections are also proven to reduce depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and even an unhealthy body mass index (aka BMI). Without us even knowing it, having an innate sense of belonging in our group of friends reduces the likelihood of conditions we may never have thought of. A good group of friends enhances our purpose, willingness to succeed, desire to grow, and so much more.
It forces you to be persistent and intentional
If you're still looking for that perfect group of friends, we've got your back. Finding a solid friend group is everything, and the process should be just as rewarding. Whether it's volunteer events, happy hour, networking opportunities, or another interest-based community, making friends requires us to step outside of our comfort zone and connect with other people. Without the desire to meet new people, we may never step outside of our comfort zone (or even the door of our apartment). Stepping outside and engaging with new people can help promote good health and boost immunity, helping you to manage your nerves by opening up.
Your 20s — especially those early years — can be described as a time when your friends are your family. They provide a sense of comfort, belonging, and purpose that you've only ever experienced from your given family. When it's time to celebrate with our chosen family, we want our choices to reflect who we are, what we believe in, and what we want from the people that care for us. Making friends and maintaining friendships help us persist, forcing us to be more intentional with our communication or owning it as the only single person in our friend group. These decisions are fueled by persistence and intentionality — skills that you will value most in the long run.
You get to sell yourself and care for others
One of the greatest things we'll ever do is love and be loved in return (it's cheesy, but true). Good friendships allow us to show off the best parts of ourselves, like the way we make hot soup for a friend who's sick or buy flowers and chocolates for the one who's going through a breakup. When we advocate for others, we advocate for ourselves, reminding those around us that we are dependable, compassionate, and an overall great friend. In celebration, we use our generosity and creativity. In an inevitable fight, we use our communication and forgiveness. The rest of the time, we learn about our friends while learning more about ourselves.
Ultimately, good friendships are good for our health because they allow us to nurture the best parts of ourselves and others. Even if you haven't found that perfect group of friends yet, you're still capable of persistence, intentionality, and self-nurturing. While everyone is deserving of their dream friend group, only time will bring us our best people — we'll just have to wait and see.