Importance of Friendship for Mental Health

Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it’s not always easy to build or maintain them. Read below to understand the importance of friendships in your life and what you can do to develop and nurture new ones.

Benefits of Friendships:

-Increase your sense of belonging and purpose

-Boost your happiness and reduce your stress

-Improve your self-confidence and self-worth

-Help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, or deaths

-Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise

-Help put your problems in context to develop a stronger sense of meaning and direction

-Increase feelings of security and help protect against stress

-Ease the emotional impact of difficulties and offer new ideas about tackling them

Friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social support are lower risk of many medical conditions. These include depression, high blood pressure, and obesity. However, keep in mind that although friendship can be a powerful way to support you through all the ups and downs of your life, it’s not a substitute for mental health treatment. If you have emotional experiences that affect your ability to function, consider talking to a licensed mental health professional.

Resources:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/social-support.aspx

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/psychological-benefits-of-friendship