High-quality friendships can have lasting effects on your mental and physical health as well as your behaviors. Studies show that people with high-quality friendships tend to live longer and exercise 9% more frequently. These people also have a reduced risk of depression by 17% and are 19% less likely to have a stroke.
“High-quality friendship” is measured by the number of friends, the number of interactions, and how supported and happy you feel around your friends. Because the effects of peer pressure do not diminish with age it’s important to reflect on the influence your friends have on your life. Do they influence you into engaging in riskier behavior? Do they influence you to drink and smoke more? Or do they encourage you to exercise and process emotions healthily?
The big takeaway is that high-quality friendships are overall beneficial for our health and well-being but we must be critical about who we choose to align ourselves with. Find friendships with people who share similar interests but also make you feel emotionally satisfied. Good friends are proud to have you as a member of their group and reinforce your self-worth.
Our health is interconnected with those around us, so you must choose carefully who you have by your side. Both positive and negative behaviors tend to cluster together in society. Put your energy and effort into friendships that make you feel loved, valued, and appreciated while also challenging you to be the best version of yourself. Society tends to have an underappreciation for friendships with too heavy of a focus on romantic relationships and marriages. Although romantic relationships are important, they are not the end all be all. Don’t forget the importance of cultivating and maintaining high-quality friendships as you age. Just because the powerful effect of friendship isn’t a conscious thought daily, does not mean friends aren’t influencing your life– for good or bad. You be the judge. If you’re interested in learning more check out Maggie Merten’s article in NPR. https://apple.news/AJxWkcNcYRG-c3wvwrXwjEA