Why You Should Love Your Friends A Little More!

Friendship is one of the most treasured relationships of our lives. Each of our friends has some characteristics that make them special and irreplaceable. Our list of friends ranges from our partner in crime to one who mothers us. They fight with you, annoy you but always love you—the imperfect you, the confused you, even the wrong you. A friend is someone who makes it easy to believe in yourself. They are the reason you smile a lot more, laugh a little harder, and cry a little less. 

You would agree that friends make our lives so much better just by being there. But did you know that this statement is scientifically true? A strong connection between two individuals as that of friendship has numerous health benefits. Let’s dig a little deeper and find more reasons to love our friends more than ever… 

How Friendship Benefits Physical and Emotional Health

1. Friendships Foster Feeling Of Belonging

Humans are social beings and the feeling of belongingness is fundamental to humankind and its existence. Everybody wants to feel important and wanted. Hence, having deep friendships helps people feel they belong.

Being a part of a group of people to whom we are not related helps us lead a more resilient and compassionate life. A recent study in psychiatry found that a sense of belongingness helps people feel less depressed and satisfies an important need for emotional health.

2. Friends Boost Your Self-Esteem. 

A good friend is your biggest supporter. You should always have supportive friends who wish to celebrate your accomplishment. Your pals help to boost your confidence and sense of value.

They cheer louder than your own achievements and are a shoulder to lean on when things get tough. It has been proven by research that, being a part of a social group is associated with higher self-esteem because members take pride in and get significance from their connections. 

3. Friends Help You Cope Up With Stress

Friends are our support system as we navigate challenging times in life.  You can alleviate your own stress by venting to a friend about a difficult day, week, month, or even a year. Also, You know they’ll be there for you!  

You may encounter distressing situations such as a breakup or divorce, the death of a pet or a loved one, family issues, and the list goes on. Having a friend helps in building resilience to adversity, surviving, and thriving in the face of difficult times like those mentioned above. 

Even though distance doesn’t make a difference, we can’t deny the fact that meeting your friends is a different feeling altogether. And there’s been research done to prove this. Hugging your close ones makes you feel better and reduces stress. In addition, warm physical contact also promotes connection and wellness.

4. They Encourage Healthy Behaviours

Have you ever realised that doing something you don’t like is easier with a friend by your side? Be it cleaning up your room or joining a gym, having a friend as your partner can drive you to be motivated and get it done. 

When you decide to do something new you know your friends will support you, probably after making fun of you! But you know for sure that they’ve got your back. Hence, your self-confidence gets a boost as a result of this support which improves your chances of accomplishing your objectives tying you in a positive loop of improvement. 

5. They May Help You Live Longer

Along with adding life to your days, your pals add days to your life, quite literally! Friendship provides you with hope for a happy life. A positive relationship between you and your friends has a bigger impact on your health and is less likely to develop any chronic diseases.

A Harvard study has found that people who have meaningful relationships with their family, friends, and community are happier with fewer health problems. On the other hand, a lack of social bonds is linked to sadness and later-life cognitive impairment, as well as higher mortality.

6. Friendships Allow Us To Reflect

Friendships provide an opportunity to explore our path of life out of our comfort zone, while still giving us a secure emotional place to be ourselves.

We know that friendship has numerous benefits, especially in terms of improving our physical and mental health, but the most significant reason why social connections like friendship are so crucial is that it helps us figure out who we are and who we want to be. Great companions like friends can shape you into the best version of yourself. 

A Day To Friendship

Just like we don’t realise that we’re making memories while having fun, we never knew our dear friends have so much to add to our time on earth. Many of us have grown up saying that we don’t need a day to celebrate friendship. But how about we look at it the other way around? It’s a day we thank our friends for being the person they are to us.

It’s a day we acknowledge the beauty of the selfless love shared between us. A day dedicated to remembering all the mischieves done together and all the success we wish for each other. A day you take pride in choosing just the right person as your friend. 

Cheers to friendship!