According to a study published in March 2023 in the journal Society for Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that positive social experiences not only influence a person's stress level and coping ability, but also physical health indicators.

The study followed more than 4,000 people for three weeks, completing checks on their smartphones or smartwatches every three days about their positive and negative experiences with their closest social relationships, as well as assessments of their blood pressure, heart rate, stress and coping.

According to the study, having more positive experiences in social relationships was generally associated with better coping, lower stress and lower systolic blood pressure, or spikes in blood pressure during stressful situations .

Another study was conducted in Utah, United States. More than 300,000 people were examined over a period of 7 years.

The analyses measured relationships in different ways: the size of the social circle, whether the participant was in a relationship, how many times they saw their friends per month, in what situations they could count on their friends, etc. Regardless of age or health level, it was concluded that participants who had strong social ties showed a higher survival rate.

One of the authors of the study, Julianne Holt Lunstad, said that interpersonal relationships can influence our health and, therefore, the years we live. Having people to rely on in stressful or distressing times may seem “normal” to us; however, for many, it is not so common.

A friend may recommend that we visit the doctor if we feel unwell, encourage us to eat better if we have gained too much weight, or urge us to exercise together. We can even make “sacrifices” for that person if they need it: go to a healthy restaurant, go to the gym with them, not smoke in front of them, etc.

Social relationships are very important for our physical and, of course, mental health.

1.Friends help you live longer.

According to a study carried out in 2010, people who have an active social life and good relationships live longer.

To reach this conclusion, 148 studies were examined in order to find some kind of relationship between friendship and social skills with mortality. The results of the study indicated that the stronger the ties in social relationships, the later the subjects died. This may be due to the important role that friendship plays in overcoming certain stressful situations and obstacles that life presents us with.

2. Friendship helps reduce stress

Although stress does not have a single cause, one of the most common is the difficulty in overcoming and coping with everyday problems.

But the truth is that friendship can help reduce stress levels because friends help us control the tensions generated, overcome the problems we face and, ultimately, provide us with support, thereby reducing our anxiety and discomfort.

3. You can have a healthier life thanks to friendship

After comparing the health status of people with healthy and stable social relationships with those who were isolated, a study revealed that the former enjoyed better physical and mental health.

When you have people who care about you, you are likely to have a higher level of self-care, whereas feelings of loneliness can lead to abandonment, which will affect your health.

4. Friends can ease your pain

Although many people don't know it, people who have support and loving friends perceive pain less intensely. On the other hand, people who are isolated and do not have this type of support tend to experience physical pain more strongly and severely.

5. More fun.

Friends provide us with good times and fun, which has a direct and positive impact on our well-being and health, as both parties benefit.

6. Friends improve our mental acuity.

According to a study, people with dementia feel worse when they are not in contact with other people and feel alone. Therefore, we can say that having good social relationships and close, healthy bonds can contribute to better brain development and functioning.

7. They improve cardiovascular health.

Although it may sound strange, friendship has positive effects on our health and our heart, according to a study carried out on 1,000 subjects with cardiovascular diseases.

The study suggests that half of the participants who had died had no close friends, while 85% of survivors had strong ties to other people.

8. Friendship favors personal development.

Through friendship and thanks to the people we interact with, we can acquire values, knowledge and behaviors that enrich our lives and help us grow as people.

9. Having friends contributes to greater emotional balance.

As we all know, human beings are social beings, we need to have contact with other people. When we are deprived of this basic need, our mental balance is directly affected.

10. It can help prevent obesity.

Although it may sound strange since friendship has no relation to weight, several researchers claim that, especially in childhood, socialization has a food-replacing effect, which makes us eat less because we are entertained.

Many adults find it difficult to make new friends or maintain existing ones. Friendships may take second place to other priorities, such as work, or caring for children or aging parents. You and your friends may have drifted apart because of changes in your lives or interests. Or perhaps you've moved to a new community and haven't yet found a way to meet people.

Making new friends or keeping them requires effort. But the pleasure and comfort that friendship offers makes the investment worthwhile . In theory, everything seems easy, but now is the time to find real friends (and not profiles on social networks). “Face-to-face” contact is always much more difficult, but also the most beneficial. That is why we must make an effort to start making real friends.

If you are not a very sociable person, we recommend these tips to make friends (and enjoy all the benefits of friendship for your health).

• Keep in touch with people you've worked with or gone to class with

• Reconnect with old friends

• Reach out to people you've enjoyed talking to at social gatherings

• Introduce yourself to the neighbors

• Take time to connect with family members

• If you remember someone in particular that you would like to get to know better, please reach out to that person.

Don't limit yourself to just one approach to meeting people. The broader your efforts, the greater your chances of success.

Take the initiative instead of waiting for an invitation, and keep trying. You may have to suggest plans a few times before you know if your interest in a new friend is mutual.