Good friends don’t just make life more enjoyable. They can also help protect your physical and mental health and even increase your chances of living longer.
What you should know:
- Healthy relationships lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and reduce anxiety.
- Maintaining strong friendships improves cardiovascular and immune health, which can increase longevity by up to 50%.
- It’s not about how many friends you have, but the quality of those relationships.
- Much More Than Just Companionship: How Friendships Affect Your Brain
- When you share a concern with someone you trust, you probably feel relieved. That feeling doesn’t just happen “in your head.”
According to psychologist Grace Chacón, part of the MediSmart medical network, social support has significant effects on the brain.
“This greatly lowers our cortisol levels—the stress hormone—because we feel supported, our emotions are validated, we’re given a different perspective, and as a result, we feel better about ourselves and the people around us,” she explained.
This effect also applies to people living with anxiety.
The specialist also points out that friendships allow us to feel heard and supported, and help us see problems from a different perspective.
On the other hand, a good friendship boosts self-esteem, since it is often friends who recognize strengths that a person hasn’t yet identified in themselves and offer feedback that fosters personal growth.
Can They Help You Live Longer? Physical Health Benefits
Healthy friendships do more than just improve your mood. They can also have a positive impact on various aspects of physical health, including:
• They promote arterial and cardiovascular health.
• They strengthen the immune system.
• They help with recovery after an illness.
• They facilitate conflict resolution by providing new perspectives.
• They stimulate brain development by keeping you socially active.
• They are associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases.
