There’s a lot of talk nowadays about how social media is making us more isolated, ruining our social skills and damaging our friendships. It seems like, ever since the pandemic, we haven’t been able to bounce back to when social events were purely fun, concert goers knew how to behave, and friends hung out in-person regularly. But no matter how society changes, the importance of having meaningful friendships never dwindles.
According to Verywell Mind, maintaining close friendships is even beneficial for your health. It reduces feelings of loneliness and can even reduce your risk of developing diabetes, or having a heart attack or stroke. Keeping your friends close keeps your heart (metaphorically and literally) happy and healthy!
Having strong friendships can also help you live a healthy lifestyle if they encourage good behaviors. Your besties will keep an eye on you to ensure that you’re not drinking or smoking too much, and they might even encourage you to be more physically active. You can go on runs together, go hiking, try indoor climbing or prepare healthy dinners together. We all want to see our loved ones live long, healthy lives, so having friends around can remind us to take care of ourselves.
Meanwhile, your friends will always provide emotional support as well. If you need someone to cry to after a breakup, vent to after a long day at work or squeal with after getting accepted into your dream university, you can always rely on support from your besties.
Another great benefit of having strong friendships is how they build your confidence. We tend to be our harshest critics, meanwhile our friends tend to look at us through rose-colored glasses. Having close friends around to remind you that you are strong, capable and deserving of lots of love can do wonders for your self-esteem. And at the same time, having friends around to make sure that you’re laughing every day can quickly melt your stress.
While it’s not necessary to have a huge group of friends, having a handful that you’re close to can actually help you build an even larger community. You don’t have to be besties with everyone, but if your friends introduce you to their friends, before you know it, you’ll have lots of connections and people that you can go to when you’re in need of assistance. Looking for a new hairdresser but aren’t sure where to go? Need a recommendation for a great date night spot? Having a community will be extremely beneficial in these moments.
Now, the hardest aspect of maintaining strong friendships is doing so when you live hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away from your besties. But thankfully, NPR has some tips for keeping in touch with long distance friends. First, they recommend being intentional and explicit about your desires to remain friends. Reach out, make an effort, and never make the other person wonder if you still value their friendship.
It’s also a good idea to find common interests to ensure that you don’t lose touch with your long distance friends. If you love watching the same TV show, reading the same books or participating in the same hobbies, you’ll always have something to talk about. Don’t hesitate to start conversations about these things, and always ask your besties what they’ve been up to recently.
