Having a close circle of dependable friends can reduce your risk of anxiety and depression, decrease feelings of isolation and loneliness, and even lower your blood pressure. A friend who is not well is not dependable. We need to take care of our friends and make sure they are doing fine.
Why? They will return the favor. If they don’t – which would mean they aren’t real friends – there is no harm in doing something nice for someone, is there? Here are 5 more compelling reasons why your friends’ wellbeing should matter to you.
Healthy Friends = A Healthier You
A healthy social circle decreases your risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and other grave health problems. There’s science behind this. People with strong social support face a smaller risk of having a high body mass index, depression, and high blood pressure. What is more, adults who have close connections with a healthy group live longer than those who do not.
The above conclusions were drawn following a study by the Mayo Clinic. Apart from that, it’s just logic. You become healthier when you’re surrounded by healthy people!
They are Resilient
Wellbeing correlates with resilience to a high extent. Resilient people have traits like hardiness and reflectiveness as well as sociability. One external characteristic they share is what’s known as relationship recruiting.
What does this mean? There is a relationship between social support from friends and level of resilience. In the face of challenges, friend support predicts most features of psychological wellbeing.
They Help You Feel Connected
Reports of support from friends, but not family members, are a powerful predictor of positive affect. Support from family is less impactful than that from friends. Healthy friends help you feel connected.
Connections with friends are the cornerstones of one’s life. You need to invest energy and time to develop them. Every day, building these connections will enrich you and make you stronger.
They are More Active
Wellbeing is directly proportional to one’s level of activity. There was never a person who was well and inactive or overly active, which is just as bad. Their activity promotes yours.
With active friends, there’s plenty to do and lots of places to go. You can go for a walk or run, dance, do some gardening, play games, or cycle with them. All of these things will make you feel good.
Wellbeing Fosters Mindfulness
Mindfulness is what helps you sit up and take notice of things. It’s important to have a natural curiosity toward the positive, the beautiful, and the unconventional. With mindful friends, you become more aware of what you feel and what surrounds you.
Wellbeing also fosters generosity. When your friends do something nice for you, you reciprocate. It doesn’t have to be much – a smile and a sincere “thank you” will do. Few things are more rewarding than seeing your happiness and yourself connected to the bigger community.
