The Vital Role Of Friendships

February 13 marks Galentine’s Day, a day where girlfriends get together and celebrate their friendship. So, on that note we’ve delved into the importance of friendship and the vital role it plays in our lives.

Whether you’re a social butterfly or bit of a home body, dedicating time and putting yourself out there to surround yourself with people that support, care and encourage you is just as important as any other aspect of health and wellbeing in your life. The connections you make with people through work, play or love can have a positive impact on both your physical and mental health.

Think of your time spent with friends, catching up, laughing and talking about the minute and meaningful things going on in your life, you may not realise it but these moments trigger those happy hormones which are great for our health. Connecting with friends often and knowing that they are there for support, comfort and guidance can help us to feel secure which has been linked to reducing our stress levels which in turn brings balance and a sense of stability to our lives.

Celebrating life’s milestones with friends by your side can bring such joy, happiness and love to your life. But equally as important is sharing in difficult times as freinds can help ease the emotional impact of a situation. Whether they’re being a good listener so you can talk things over, offering guidance or providing an alternative perspective to what’s troubling you, they can help you pick up the pieces and remind you you’re not alone.

Whilst we do all need a little alone time every now and then to recharge, spending time with positive friends can be contagious and they can have a positive influence on your life, in more ways than one!  

Since friendships help to increase our happiness, we’ve listed some fun ways to stay in touch with friends regularly:

• Snail mail – send them a hand-written letter. It’ll be a nice surprise and more meaningful then a text, especially if your friend’s living afar…#penpals.
• Pick up the phone and call to have a conversation. Don’t wait until you’re both available to meet up. You could even Skype or FaceTime for a more personal experience.
• Make sure to carve out some social time, go to the movies, dinner, game night, a picnic, exercise together or have a night in.
• Relive special or funny moments by sending old pics.
• Share interesting articles or funny things you see you think they would like.
• Send each other care packages, whether there’s distance between you or you live close by, either way it’ll be appreciated.
• Make collaborative playlists of your favourite songs.
• Start a book club – this can ensure some mindfulness reading time and a great excuse to lock in a monthly catch up!.

Or some ways to make new friends:

• Join a class – whether it’s a cooking class, a dance class or exercise class, everyone there is ready to have a good time.
• Volunteer your time – while you’ll feel great for helping a cause, you can connect with other like-minded people that share your ideas or passion. 
• Get outside – talking or just saying hey to people at your local café, dog park or neighbourhood can often flourish into unexpected friendships.
• Join a sports team – meet new team mates and there’s nothing like some healthy competition to bring a team together