5 Ways Friendships Can Improve Your Mental Health

By Michael Cerreto

Friendships are super meaningful for keeping your mental health in check. They give you a support system to handle life's ups and downs, make you feel less lonely, and generally make you feel good.

Protective Role of Friendships

Friendships are vital to looking after your mental well-being. They offer grounding, perspective, and assistance in managing life's problems. Friends can make a difference for people dealing with or recovering from mental health issues. They can help combat the feelings of isolation that often come with these conditions. Being there to chat and listen can be the best way to support a needy friend. To keep those supportive relationships strong, it's important to be accepting, show compassion, and demonstrate that you care through your actions or words. (Mental Health Foundation, 2021).

Long-Term Benefits and Reduced Risks

Having solid friendships, particularly since your teenage years, can help reduce the chances of experiencing depression or anxiety later in life. Good friendships, with support, give-and-take, and closeness, can lower the risk of health issues in the long run (What Are the Health Benefits of Friendship? 2022). 

I want to share with you these interesting facts: According to studies, including one from 2010 that looked at 148 other studies, people with strong social connections have a 50% better chance of living about 7.5 years longer than those with weaker social ties. (What Are the Health Benefits of Friendship?, 2022).

Emotional and Physical Health Impacts

Having friends can make you feel less lonely, reduce stress, provide emotional support, help you grow, give you a sense of belonging, and support you through life's ups and downs. (Purdue University News, 2022). Loneliness can bring you down, and insufficient social time can affect your mental and physical health.  (What Are the Health Benefits of Friendship?, 2022). When you have positive social interactions, your body releases oxytocin, which is linked to empathy, generosity, and trust. This release can lower cortisol levels and reduce blood pressure. (What Are the Health Benefits of Friendship?, 2022).

Network Effect of Happiness

Having a few close friends may be more critical for health outcomes than diet or exercise habits, and it is comparable to the impact of smoking. Friendship helps reduce depression and mortality. (Brower, 2023). Happiness and positive mental health can spread through the interconnectedness of relationships, illustrating the network effect of well-being. (Brower, 2023).

Friendship in the Workplace

Seventy-five percent of people make friends through work, so the workplace is becoming a big deal for forming friendships. (Brower, 2023). In these relationships, being committed, consistent, and curious is essential. (Brower, 2023). Having friends at work can help with mental health. They can offer support and make the workday more enjoyable with their camaraderie.

I want to remind you that friendships are essential for mental well-being. They provide emotional support, help reduce the risk of mental health issues, and contribute to an overall sense of happiness. Plus, having friends can positively impact physical health and the length of life.

References

Mental Health Foundation. (2021, August 13). Friendship and Mental Health. Www.mentalhealth.org.uk. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/friendship-and-mental-health

‌Purdue University News. (2022, December 14). Friendship matters to mental health and well-being. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2022/Q4/friendship-matters-to-mental-health,-well-being.html

What are the health benefits of friendship? (2022, July 23). www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-the-health-benefits-of-friendship#Friendships-and-mental-health

‌Purdue University News. (n.d.). Friendship matters to mental health and well-being. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2022/Q4/friendship-matters-to-mental-health,-well-being.html

Brower, T. (2023, March 7). Maximize Mental Health With A Few Good Friends: Here's How. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2023/03/07/maximize-mental-health-with-a-few-good-friends-heres-how/