Friendships provide so much more than just a good time.
Maintaining positive relationships, like healthy eating and exercise, should be considered a necessary investment in your health.
Spending time with friends is not only enjoyable, but it also has numerous long-term physical and emotional health benefits.
Whether your network of friends consists of a partner and a large number of close family ties, or if it is made up of people who aren’t biologically related to you, any type of positive social support is beneficial.
Here are 4 reasons why spending time with friends is essential for your mental health.
1. Reduced stress
Everyone experiences stressful events. If you know you can rely on others, you may be less likely to perceive a difficult time as stressful. Consider the last time you were upset or worried about something. Perhaps you expressed your concerns to a friend, who listened to you vent and assisted you in brainstorming solutions. Potential stressors don’t have a chance to build up and cause significant distress if you know you have friends who care and want to help.
2. Friends can help boost self-esteem
Friends can boost your self-esteem and confidence. Your cheerleader is a good friend. You always want friends who are happy for you to share in your success. When you’re feeling unsure, supportive friends can help you feel more confident by offering praise and reassurance. They’ll highlight how incredible you are and how much you have to offer others.
3. Friends give you emotional support
If you find yourself in a difficult situation, having a friend to assist you can make the transition easier. Social ties provide emotional support, which improves your psychological well-being. People who consider their friends and family to be supportive are considered to have a greater sense of meaning in life and a stronger sense of purpose.
4. Friends push you to be your best version
Friends can also have a positive impact. You are more likely to develop those values if you make friends with people who are generous with their time, help others, ambitious, or family-oriented. Your friends may also support your decisions by making changes alongside you. If you want to join a gym or start running, for example, having an exercise buddy can help you stick with it until it becomes a habit.
Good friends are essential at all stages of life. Some aspects of your friendship may evolve over time as you mature and change as individuals. Strong friendships, on the other hand, will continue to strengthen you year after year because the important things — trust, respect, forgiveness, and support — will never change.
