10 amazing health benefits of friendships

Our friends are an essential part of our lives. They are the families that we choose to keep and maintain throughout our lives. Good friends, not only provide peace and joy, in both good and bad times, they also help to improve our self-confidence and self-worth.

So, while finding a good friend can be tough, good friends have a positive effect on your overall health and well being – a lot more than you think.

This Friendship Day, learn some of the health benefits of friendship!

#1: Having close friends can boost happiness and reduce stress

Your friends are your biggest stress busters. They help uplift your mood during trying times and help you overcome challenges that life throws at you. With friends, you can share your joys, sorrows, problems – breakups, loneliness, loss of a job, hardships, and more! Friends give you support and comfort that can help reduce your overall stress level and lower your risk for depression.

#2: Friends help improve our immune system

People with friends and strong social support tend to have stronger immunity. Their bodies show better anti-inflammatory responses to diseases and wound healing, leading to better health and reduced risk of illness.

#3: Friends help secure our heart health

Our friends are our health tonics. They encourage healthy reactions in our body and help reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol – a well-known contributor to heart disease. People with great friends and acquaintances have shown to have fewer inflammatory chemicals in their blood, which in turn leads to a healthier heart and stronger arteries.

#4: Friends enhance our self-confidence

Our friends act as our support system. They are our biggest critics and greatest admirers: their constructive suggestions, praises, and reassurance help to increase our self worth and boost our self-confidence. Friendship can be one of the most gratifying relationships that we will ever build.

#5: Friends keep our mind sharp

Our friends keep us away from various mental health disorders too. Not only do they help relieve stress and worry, but they also help decrease the risk of psychiatric conditions like dementia, which is associated with loneliness.

#6: Friends help us improve our social habits

Good friends act as our social influencers and promote healthy habits in us. Whether it’s influencing our diet and exercise, or simply helping us stay active, our friends encourage us to swap our bad habits with good ones and bring about healthy and meaningful change is us. Our friends’ influence can help us lower the risk of many health problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, and more.

#7: Friends make us take better care of ourselves

Embracing a vibrant social life can keep us healthy and happy throughout our lifecycle. It promotes a sense of belonging and well-being. It encourages us to take better care of ourselves, to indulge in our hobbies, and make way for a happy and healthy life.

#8: Friends help us recover more quickly from illness

Friends play a crucial role in helping us live healthily or recover from a chronic illness. They boost our morale and put us on a recovery path so that we can quickly recover from our diseases and illness.

#9: Friends increase our happiness quotient

Need a little more joy and happiness in your life? Turn to a happy friend who can rub off their magical charm on you too. Friends can make you smile even in tough times and help keep your spirits high.

#10: Friends allow us to be ourselves

With friends, you can just be yourself. Your friends know you inside-out, which can create a comforting zone for you – one that is soothing, relieving, and absolutely stress-bursting.

With unconditional love and support, your best friend can change your life for the better. So, this Friendship Day, thank your best friends for sticking by you, make way for new friends, and remember to make time for friendships – they are good for your health!

by tnaman | Jul 30, 2020 | Articles, Health & Fitness