Good friends are always there for us when we need them, whether it’s over a cup of coffee enjoying laughs or depending on each other for support during difficult times. Good friends always seem to be there. Fortunately for us, research shows that this kind of friendship is beneficial to our health. According to research, having close friends has numerous health benefits, including the following physical, mental, and emotional advantages.
Table of Contents
There is less loneliness and social isolation
Being lonely can have a significant impact on one’s mental and physical health, and the number of lonely people is on the rise. To further understand the difference between these two issues, consider the following scenario: Associating with people helps you avoid being alone, but friendships can also save you from feeling lonely as well. “Lonely in a crowd,” as the saying goes, is a familiar one. Without being lonely, it is possible to have a large number of friends and still feel alone.
What important is the nature of the connection. Friendships that are only superficial or fleeting don’t offer much in the way of emotional assistance. If you don’t have someone to confide in, you will feel lonely no matter how many friends you have in gaming, coffee, or the gym.
Loneliness can be avoided even if you only have a few close friends. You know that talking, joking, or spending time with a friend can make you feel less lonely. The fact that you have a deep bond despite the fact that distance and other factors may prevent you from physically hanging out can make you feel less alone.
Lowering of tension
Anxiety affects everyone in some way. Even if it appears little at first, it can quickly build and overwhelm you if you’re not careful. Stress can cause feelings such as worry, sadness, or frustration, but it can also have significant effects on your personality. When people are under a lot of stress, it can lead to a variety of health problems. There is, however, some positive news to report. Having wonderful friendships, it has been found, can help you deal with stress more effectively and lessen your likelihood of ever suffering stress.
Think back to a time when you were worried or worried about anything. Maybe you confided in a friend who listened to your problems and offered suggestions. When you have people that care and want to help, stressors don’t have a chance to build up and cause significant agony.
Support on a psychological level
The emotional support that comes from a close friendship or romantic relationship is invaluable. There are people who care about you enough to listen and validate your feelings when you’re unhappy or disturbed, even if it’s merely to assist divert you from them. Start by talking to your partner if you’re married or in a committed relationship. In fact, it’s very normal for a love partner to provide reassurance and comfort in this situation. However, they shouldn’t be your only source of emotional support. Relationship experts frequently suggest making friends outside of your partner because they believe these friendships can benefit both your mental and physical well-being. When you and your partner disagree or want to spend time on different hobbies, having friends who share your interests might help you maintain your sense of self.
Personal development and growth
Friends can help you stay committed to making great changes in your life or to breaking a bad habit. Having a strong social network may help you live longer for this very reason. By providing a good example for you, your friends can encourage you to make great changes in your life. Stopping smoking may have encouraged you since your best buddy recently made the decision to stop. By making adjustments with you, your friends can demonstrate their support for your choices. An workout buddy might help you persist with a new habit, like joining a gym or starting a jogging programme. Regardless of what they do, you can count on their support. This kind of support might help you feel better about yourself and achieve your goals more quickly.
A feeling of belonging
We’d all like to believe that our lives have significance and that others value us. Adherence is third below fundamental necessities (such as food and shelter) and safety requirements on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. A sense of belonging is aided by cultivating and maintaining intimate relationships.
Being concerned about the well-being of others enhances one’s quality of life. As a caregiver, you are responsible for providing compassion and emotional support to those you are entrusted to look for. This may help you become a better and stronger person. On the other side, having a strong support system might help you feel more at ease in your own skin. However far your pals are spread out, you will always have trustworthy companions who will stand by your side no matter what.
Providing moral support when things are bad
It’s not always easy to get what you want in life. At times, it’s just demoralising. You could find yourself in a difficult or stressful situation at any given time, with no prior notice. It turns out that excellent physical health is correlated with healthy interpersonal relationships. Diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke can all be prevented by hanging out with a close group of friends.
Friends encourage you to maintain a healthy lifestyle
It’s possible that friendships help you make healthier lifestyle choices, which in turn have a positive impact on your health. Setting and keeping healthy eating and fitness goals can be easier if you have the support of your friends or family members. These devices can also maintain tabs on your behaviours and send you an alarm if anything unhealthy (like binge drinking) starts to pose an issue.
People are more motivated and more likely to stick with an exercise or weight loss programme when they are doing it with a friend. It’s much easier to get out and stay active when you have a buddy at your side. Having someone to bounce ideas off of might help you push yourself and deal with fear when it comes to doing something you wouldn’t normally consider.
Friends’ emotional assistance
When you’re going through a tough time, having a supportive friend at your side can make a huge difference.
According to study, happiness spreads easily among friends. According to one study, depressed high school students had a twofold increase in their chances of recovery if they had happy friends. Children who had “happy” friends were half as likely to suffer from depression as those who did not.
Friends aid you in gaining confidence
Most people experience self-doubt and insecurities on a regular basis. The opposite is also true: supportive friendships help you feel better about yourself by enhancing your self-esteem. If you’re uncertain about anything, confidant friends can boost your self-esteem by delivering words of praise and encouragement. They’ll make you realise just how amazing you are and how much you can contribute to the world around you.
The support of friends might help you cope with stress
Problems arise for everyone at some point. If you know you can count on others at a difficult time, you may be less likely to regard it as stressful. It’s possible that socialising with pals helps you cope better with stress. This is according to the Harvard Medical School: “Social contacts can reduce stress levels, which can compromise cardiovascular health as well as digestive and metabolic functions.”
Having friends to lean on when things are tough can be a huge help. Children who spend time with their friends amid a stressful situation produce less of the stress hormone cortisol, according to a small study. Being socially isolated due to a lack of friends might lead to additional problems like depression and substance abuse.
Instill the belief that you can and should be your best self
It is also possible that friendships have a good effect. Establishing friendships with people who volunteer their time, help others, or are ambitious or family-oriented will increase your chances of developing these qualities. Friendships with outstanding individuals have the power to mould you into your ideal self. This person appreciates your uniqueness because it allows them to see who you really are. Your “ideal self” is what you strive to become as a result of their encouragement.
Friendships provide a sense of belonging for individuals
To feel included, like you’re a part of something is beneficial, according to Mahzad Hojjat, PhD, a professor of psychology at UMass Dartmouth who has conducted research on friendships, the benefits of close relationships, and marriage. Studies have shown that belonging fulfils an important mental health need and helps people cope with negative emotions like despair and hopelessness, according to a study published in the journal Psychiatry in 2015.
A person’s cognitive health may benefit from having friends
Senior women’s social networks appear to protect cognition and reduce the risk of dementia, but further research is needed to establish why this is the case. According to a study published in the August 2021 issue of JAMA Network Open, having someone with whom to have pleasant conversations may assist maintain good mental health. A study of 2,171 participants in the Framingham Heart Study found that those who said they had a good listener in their lives were more likely to have higher levels of cognitive resilience.
Having friends can help us deal with any form of grief
As an example, think back on a moment when you had to deal with a tough situation, such as the death of a loved one or the loss of something else important in your life (like a job, a pet, or a relationship). Your ability to persevere was undoubtedly aided by the support of others. As Harding notes, “lonely people have a tougher time bouncing back from life’s difficulties.” Mothers who experienced a stillbirth relied on social support to keep them from feeling alone, according to a small study published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research in July–August 2015.
Decreased likelihood of long-term health problems
Our ability to connect with others is critical to living a fulfilling life. According to a report published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews in May 2020, loneliness and social isolation may be linked to inflammation. High levels of inflammation, according to Harvard Health Publishing, can be harmful and lead to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease.. There is evidence from Mayo Clinic that strong social connections are linked to decreased rates of depression, better blood pressure, and lower BMI.
Strong relationships may contribute to a longer life span
Studies published in PLoS Medicine found that people with strong social ties were 50 percent more likely to survive. Harding summarised the findings of the study by saying, “The difference in mortality risk didn’t come down to age, gender, or even physical challenges, but positive social interactions with other people.” “Those with the best health outcomes had the highest degrees of social integration, as evaluated by marital status, the number of friends and the engagement with friends.”
More content with our lives
Having an active social network (as measured by study participants’ smartphone usage) was found to be more predictive of overall well-being and happiness than data from fitness trackers like heart rate and physical activity, according to a study published in the journal PLoS One in June 2019. Associating with happy people is beneficial, especially if they live nearby. In a research with more than 4,000 participants, living within a mile of a cheery friend increases your chances of being happy by 25%.
Enhanced resistance to disease
Friendship-based social support was found to be associated with a stronger immune system, according to researchers. Stronger immune systems and anti-inflammatory responses are associated with better health and a lower risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and numerous types of cancer in those who have strong interpersonal ties
Reduced stress
Researchers believe that friendship affects how the body responds to stress. The stress hormone cortisol can help you relax when you spend time with friends chatting about what’s on your mind.
Enhanced self-confidence
Friends who offer praise, comfort, and a shoulder to lean on when we’re worried can make us feel more safe. If you’re there for one another, you’re more likely to have a long and happy relationship.
A better state of general health
The medical community believes that meaningful interactions improve our general health by motivating us to swap harmful habits for healthy ones. Health concerns such as high blood pressure, obesity, and depression can all be reduced with the support of our friends. This can be done through a combination of a healthier diet and increased activity, or by simply being allowed to take a well-earned break.