Our community continues to put an emphasis on romantic experiences. We assume that only meeting the right person is going to make us happy and content. But research shows that friends are much more important for our psychological well-being in fact. Friends bring more enjoyment than virtually anything else to our lives.
Friendships affect your mental wellbeing and happiness significantly. Good friends alleviate tension, offer warmth and joy, and avoid isolation and loneliness. It can also have a potent effect on your physical health to build close friendships. There might be as much chance of lack of social connection as smoking, drinking too much, or living a sedentary lifestyle. There are also friends linked to longevity. One Swedish study found that maintaining a rich network of friends can add substantial years to your life, along with physical activity.
But close friendships are not simply happening. Many of us are struggling to meet persons and build relationships of quality. However, whatever your age or circumstances, making new friends or reconnecting with old ones can significantly improve your social life, mental health, and overall well-being.
Friendships Benefits
Although it takes time and effort to build and keep friendships, healthy friendships can:
Boost the mood. Spending time with friends who are happy and optimistic will lift your mood and improve your outlook.
Helping you to accomplish your goals. If you want to get fit, give up smoking, or otherwise enhance your life, a friend's motivation will help improve your willpower and increase your chances of success.
Reduce the depression and stress. Having an active social life, a major contributing factor to depression, will improve your immune system and help minimize loneliness.
Help you through hard times. Friends can help you cope with serious illness, the loss of a job or loved one, the breakdown of a relationship, or any other struggles in life, even if it's just getting someone to share your concerns with.
Encourage you as you age. When you age, you will also be left alone by retirement, sickness, and the death of loved ones. Knowing that there are individuals you can turn to for business and help as you age can provide purpose and act as a buffer against depression, injury, suffering and loss.
Boost your self-worth. Friendship is a two-way path, and your own sense of self-worth leads to the "give" side of the give-and-take. Being there for your friends makes you feel necessary and adds meaning to your life.
Qualities of a friend to look for
A friend is someone you trust and you share a deep degree of comprehension and connection with him. A good friend's going to:
Show a sincere interest in what's going on, what you have to say, and how you think and feel in your life.
Accepts you for who you are
Listening to you attentively, asking you how to think or feel or attempting to change the subject without criticizing you
You feel comfortable sharing stuff about yourself.
A friend is both someone you feel comfortable embracing and welcoming, and someone with whom you share a bond of confidence and loyalty, as friendship works both ways.
It's good if friendship feels good. But it's time to re-evaluate friendship if a person wants to manipulate you, criticize you, exploit your kindness, or introduce unnecessary drama or negative influences into your life. A good friend doesn't need you to compromise your principles, comply with them at all times, or neglect your own needs.
