30 Oct Feeling happy and healthy? Your friends may have something to do with that!
BFF, Best Buddies, Squad, Pals…your friends! As we travel through life’s twists and turns, we encounter people along the way that we will call our friends. However, how often do we stop to think about how our friendships can impact our overall wellbeing? Probably never, but the truth is our friendships may be having a bigger impact on the quality of our life than we realize. Below we take a look into how the friendships we develop over our life impacts our overall wellbeing.
Friendship can improve health and longevity.
Studies have shown people with strong friendships and social connections tend be physically and mentally healthier. According to research done in 2010, our social connections correlate to our mortality. Meaning we’re more likely to live longer and stay healthier if we have friends.
Friends comfort us and can help cope with trauma.
This is true for the good times and the bad. Friends are often the ones we turn to when we want to celebrate success in life because they are there to support and encourage our continued success. On the other hand, when we have something traumatic or negative in our life happen, friends are there to provide advice and comfort. Friends provide a much-needed outlet of someone who will listen and provide a place to feel safe.
Friends increase our sense belonging and purpose.
Friends provide companionship, they are there to do the things we love to do. The friendships we develope help us feel like we are part of a group and that we belong with others. This can happen in many ways such as sharing common interests or thoughts. There are times in life when we can start to feel a little lost, friends are there to remind us of our value and our purpose.
Friends increase our happiness.
This may seem like the most obvious benefit of friendship. Spending time with the people we enjoy that make us laugh, smile and engage in a meaningful conversation, bring happiness to our lives. Our friendships can reduce stress and increase our self-confidence, thus making us happier. Friends often provide an outlet to share or vent the things that cause us stress while at the same time reminding us that we are great!
Friends teach us social skills.
Many friends will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. Maybe it is going to a party with them where you will meet new people and pushed to engage with new people. Or maybe it is a new adventure you have never tried that you find scary. Whatever it may be this encouragement will help you grow as a person. From a young age we learn how to act in social settings because of the time we spend with our friends.
Some of of the friendships we build will last a lifetime while others come and go. But one thing remains constant and that is we should focus on surrounding ourselves with people we enjoy that encourage us to better everyday. Here at FITTEAM we take pride in building a community of friends that often turn into family!
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860
https://www.livescience.com/53315-how-friendships-are-good-for-your-health.html