Did you know that having a large pool of friends can actually give you a lot of health benefits? Those who keep themselves isolated are more prone to sickness from stress-related disorders.
Not only can friends lower your stress levels but they can also help you make the hard decisions, keep your mind sharp, get you through a tough time in your life, and help you cope with life’s disappointments. Is this making you look at your friends a little differently?
In this article, we’re going to be going over all these benefits of friendship and why you need to start making connections.
1. Stronger Immunity
It sounds a little farfetched but, scientists concluded that people with a good circle of friends are able to fight off diseases much easier.
People with friends also tend to be a lot less stressed so that leads to better heart health and it has even been shown to fight off some forms of cancer.
2. Lower Daily Stress
It’s hard to have your mind on things that are stressing you out when you’re out having fun with your friends. They tend to distract you from the day to day struggles of life.
Also, telling a friend what’s on your mind will allow you to get your stress out there in the open and off your chest. It can be a giant load off your shoulders.
3. Improve Your Self-Confidence
When you’re feeling a little unsure of yourself a good friend can give you the reassurance you need to get through an audition, interview, or date that you’ve been looking forward to.
When someone or an event in your life attempts to cut you down they will be there with praise and a hand to hold. This support system is one of the key ways of how to find your purpose in life simply because they can give you the confidence to look for it.
4. Increase Your Happiness
If you find that you’re sad most of the time, being with a friend who is the exact opposite can rub off on you. They can make you forget the reasons why you’re sad.
It’s also true that going out and making friends can give you a confidence boost and increase your happiness faster than if you just wait for people to migrate towards you.
There is just something about going out and laughing with your friends. So, find your “ball of sunshine” friend or friends and keep them close by your side.
5. Friends Keep Your Mind Sharp
A study was conducted that links dementia with loneliness. It’s been found that people with a close circle of friends are less prone to the disease. Not having these social attachments leads to cognitive decline in most subjects.
So, having a group of friends will keep your mind sharp and working on into your golden years.
6. They’re a Good Influence
You probably get annoyed with your child or teenager who wants to do what their friends do and get things that their friends get, but adults do it as well. For example, if your friend gets onto a television show, you, as their best friend, will most likely watch it as well from hearing them talk about it.
So, when your friend makes good life decisions, you’re likely to follow their lead on it. They could influence you to lose weight, or see a counselor for a mental illness.
7. They Can Get You Through the Tough Times
When times get tough, the tough get a tightly-knitted support group. Friends can get you through the worst times in your life and help you come out stronger than you were before.
It is possible that those with terrible diseases can actually pull through or live longer than their expected date if they have the support of their friends.
If you lose your home in a terrible fire, your friends are there with comforting words and a couch. When things get so bad that you feel like you can’t recover or go on, your best friends are there to tell you that you can!
8. Friends Help You Cope with Rejection
Similar to helping you cope with tough times, friends can also help you cope with those piles of rejection letters on your desk. They are there to tell you to keep trying and that you’re actually very talented. If you’re going through a bad breakup, they are there with comfort food and choice words about your ex.
Friends can get you through your middle school and high school years when you’re being rejected by bullies and other peers. It just takes one person to accept you for who you are to make a huge difference in your life. While they can’t always make the bullying stop, they can get your mind off of it.
Huge Health Benefits of Friendship
Friendships tend to last a lifetime. Through any troubles or long distances, they tend to keep in touch. Even when they can’t always talk every day, when you do get a phone call or email from them, it’s like a breath of fresh air.
So, you’ll get to have a strong support system that will be there for you through all of life’s struggles, help you cope with rejection, manage stress, and increase your overall happiness for the rest of your life.
With the hustle and bustle of life sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. For more articles like this one, visit our health & wellness archives.
