Friendship
Humans by nature are social animals. Our friendships can have a tremendous impact on our lives–which is why it’s important to make sure that they are helping you feel supported, understood, and happy.
It’s important to focus on making sure we’re reaching out and getting in touch with the people around us.
The Importance of Friendship
Navigating life can be challenging – and those we rely upon in times of stress, happiness and everything in between become our support.
In a number of studies, friendship and social support have been linked to better physical health outcomes, like lower rates of heart disease. One such study (published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine in 2007) revealed that young men and women who discussed difficult parts of their lives had a lower pulse and blood pressure when a supportive friend accompanied them.
Researchers are finding that friendship is also imperative is to mental health. Another recent study “…found that having close friends was a stronger predictor of health than having close family members,” says psychologist Beverley Fehr, PhD, whose research specialty is close relationships.
Unfortunately, a study done on millennials found that we are likely to live without a romantic partner (2017 Pew research found that roughly 60 percent of adults younger than 35 don’t live with a spouse or S.O.).
This increasing lack of a committed life partner could point to a lack of support in life.
If you’re going through something hard and could use a yarn, do it with a mate and keep that blood pressure down.
Friends for Life
Our friendships are among the most valuable relationships we have. We gain in various ways from different friendships. We may talk to friends in confidence about things we wouldn’t discuss with our families. Our friends may annoy us, but they can also keep us going.
A friendship is meant to last a lifetime when it has been tested by time and yet it still stands strong. It is the one that stays in your heart and will never be erased. A friendship is not easy to keep forever. It takes a lot of effort, communication, connection and being there for each other.
There are times when we might feel adrift, surrounded by people yet disconnected from the world around us. Sometimes all it takes is reaching out to the people around you to re-anchor yourself in your community.
Let’s just take a moment to stop think about friendships and how big of an impact that can have on our lives. When someone has a mental health problem or is experiencing mental distress, it is important to try to keep those friendships going, even though people with mental health problems often want to see their friends less than usual.
The Month of December
We’ll be looking at Friendship all this month. Join us on our social media: follow along on Facebook or Instagram.
And, if you haven’t checked out the new app yet, get started now for free!
🌻 iyarn not only connects people with themselves, but it connects people with their friends. iyarn is a tool built to cut through the surface layers of communication and get to the important stuff.