Emotional and physical benefits to friendship

» Posted by Claire Affleck on Sep 18, 2009 in 0-body, blog | 1 comment

It goes without saying that friends are an extremely important part of life.  From when we are very young we seek out connections and friendships with a variety of people.  Friendships provide us with laughter, shoulders to cry on, and companionship.  Our friends love us unconditionally, whether we mess up or on top of the world, they are there for us.

We often have a wide variety of friends.  Some friends even have different functions in our lives.  Some we can share anything with, some you know can always make you laugh when you need it, some you can have a deep serious conversation with, others share your deepest interests with you and others are different from you and show you things in life you would otherwise never have been exposed to.  We need this variety of friends in our lives because we are all complex beings and have different needs at different times.  It’s a good feeling to know you have someone there for you no matter what life situation you are currently in.

However, friends not only provide with the emotional support we often need, but they also literally help us physically lead healthier lives.  Friendships help us reduce stress in our lives.  Stress is a major  cause of many illnesses and medical issues, including infertility.   Friends can help us through stressful times by listening to us vent, providing fun, positive diversions, and being able to provide an outside perspective.  Support from friends during stressful times is key in reducing stress levels, heart rate, blood pressure, and even cholesterol levels in our bodies.  It has even been shown that NOT having friends can actually be damaging to your health and that having friends can increase life longevity.

Today be sure to let all your friends know how much you love them and appreciate them being in your life.

Claire Affleck
Claire Affleck Training website
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