Why friendship matters?

Friendship is a vitally important thing in our lives. Friends cheer us on toward goals, help us through hard times, and offer input when we’re making choices. There are many benefits of friendship that involve health benefits and mental health benefits.

Social isolation and loneliness impact physical and mental health. Research shows that isolation and loneliness are factors for depression. Having good friends to reach out to when feeling lonely, down, or just to chat can prevent the feeling of loneliness. Quality of relationships counts. A good rule of thumb for consideration with friendships: quality over quantity.

Friends can help us reduce stress. Stress has many negative impacts on our lives including lowered immunity, sleep issues, diabetes, heart health concerns, and high blood pressure. Research shows that having strong, healthy friendships helps us cope with stress more effectively, and lowers our chances of facing some kinds of stress at all. Just knowing that there is a friend you can call when you’re feeling stressed out can help you approach a stressful situation entirely differently.

Emotional support is another benefit of healthy relationships. Friends can support us by listening, validating our feelings, showing us we matter with acts of kindness, and distracting us when we’re feeling stressed or down.

Friends are helpful with our self-development, too. When you want to make positive changes in life or cultivate healthy habits, friends can help you stick to your goals. This fact may be why some research shows that friendships can lengthen the lifespan. Friends sometimes join in our health plans with us, like joining us for walks or signing up for classes with us.

Feeling like we matter and belong often lends a sense of purpose to our lives. Friendships can help foster a sense of belonging. The feelings of compassion and care, the investment we often feel about our friends can help us feel more meaning in our lives. The support that we give when our friends face challenges can contribute toward that feeling of purpose. When we face challenges in life, friends can make a big difference by offering an empathetic ear when we encounter any of life’s difficulties.