5 Reasons Maintaining Friendships Is Good for Your Health
Many people worry about keeping a healthy mind and body, especially as we get older. We all know that diet and exercise, along with regular checkups are key to ensuring we live long and stay healthy. But, did you also know that having good friends can help you stay healthy at any stage of life?
Good friendships offer several benefits in terms of improving our mental and physical health. Here are five reasons why friendships are good for you.
1. Visits with friends improve our mood – Regular social outings help keep us happy. And, studies have shown that happy people live longer and healthier lives than their less happy counterparts. Just having a cup of coffee or taking a walk with a friend may be enough to improve your mood for a few days.
2. People with a good social network are less prone to depression – Often, when friendships wane, we feel isolated. This feeling of isolation can lead to depression, which is a serious risk as we age. In fact, the age group most likely to suffer depression is the elderly. Studies have shown that the connection between depression and advanced age is likely due to the fact that older people are more likely to be alone, after losing spouse and friends to death.
3. A good friend helps relieve stress – Without friends to talk to, many people bottle up their feelings, because they have no outlet for them. This increases stress, which can lead to many physical ailments. Everyone needs at least one good friend who has a ready ear. In addition, people with strong friendships have people in their lives they can count on for all sorts of things – knowing you have help when you need it is also a stress reliever.
4. Interaction with friends is good for your brain – A lively debate, a good card game or just a few jokes helps keep your brain active and alert. Without our regular conversations with friends, we might find ourselves less cognitively agile, especially as we age. Studies have shown that brain fitness declines when brain use declines. The most marked decrease in brain fitness appears to occur once people retire from their careers. And, this decline occurs whether retirement comes at 55 or at 75. This is strong evidence that using our brain is critical to keeping it healthy.
5. Friends encourage us to do things – Those with friends are much more likely to pursue activities that keep them mentally and physically healthy. Mental activities such as taking a class or playing chess are more likely pursued when you can do so with a friend. Likewise, we’re more likely to engage in physical activities like walking, bike riding or golf when we have friends who enjoy those same activities.
It can be easy to let friendships slide due to life changes, relocations or just the business of everyday life. But, our friendships really do play a key role in our physical and mental well being.
Phyllis Zerkle is a freelance writer and likes writing about healthcare career topics, such as how to get a master’s in nursing online, career advancement tips, and more.
Tags: Healthy Guide