World Friendship Day is a time for friends all over the world to celebrate. It’s a day when people express love and heartfelt feelings for their best friends and buddies. Friendships can have a major impact on our health and wellbeing and that’s something to celebrate!
Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Developing and maintaining good friendships takes effort. The enjoyment and comfort a friendship can provide, however, makes the investment worthwhile.
Adults with strong social support have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index. In addition:
· 22% of people will live longer if they have a close friendship network
· A person is 7X more likely to be more productive at work if their close friend(s) work there, too
· Adults have an average of two best friends
· Older adults with a rich social life are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections
Simple actions mean a lot. Celebrating friendships can be easy. Writing a short note, inviting someone to have a cup of coffee or going for a walk are great ways to celebrate Friendship Day. Make plans now to let your friends know how much their friendship means to you.