What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
An authentic friendship is one of the most wonderful things in life. Good friends bring laughter and joy to daily activities, and support you during hard times. You can trust them to respect your boundaries, even when you disagree with one another. Healthy friendships also involve mutual support, and, on top of that, it's good for your health.
It's a common misconception that you need to have tons of friends to be happy. Studies have revealed that it's not about the number of friends, but rather the quality that leads to true happiness. And having good friends can truly benefit your life in incredible ways.
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Research shows that friends are just as important as diet and exercise. Social connection is linked to lower blood pressure, lower BMI, less inflammation, and a reduced risk of diabetes.
Since 1939, a study by the Harvard Study of Adult Development has shown that relationships are the number one key indicator of joy and happiness. The research shows that the only factor they could correlate with happiness was the quality of their human relationships.
Science has revealed that social ties are a survival mechanism. We need friends to make us feel safe, supported, and loved. Feelings of loneliness and rejection can trigger the same parts of our brain as physical pain, which is correlated with a greater risk of death.
You probably can't imagine a happy person without friends. This is because deprivation of friendship has a negative effect on our mental balance. Friends increase our self-esteem and make us feel good during bad times.
Social ties can buffer negative effects on our bodies and indirectly strengthen our immunity. A study even discovered that those with highest quantity and quality of social connections were the least susceptible to getting sick when exposed to a virus that causes the common cold.
Even if money can't buy you quality friends, financial success on the other hand is linked to social competence. The most successful people in life and business can effectively interact and connect with people.
Without social connection, our brain panics and goes into fight-or-flight mode. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. Friendships counteract this by creating a sense of safety.
Science has shown that friendship reduces stress and strengthen our self-esteem. This means that friends are good for your psychological well-being.
Friendships can help in the process of self-discovery of identity. Through friends, we can also acquire values, knowledge, and learn different behaviors.
A 2013 study at the University of Virginia found that the brain activity of a person whose friend was in danger was essentially the same they experienced themselves. This shows how friendships makes us empathetic.
Friendships are usually associated with sharing activities that we find pleasant and enjoyable. This helps improve our health and well-being considerably.
Research suggests that maintaining strong friendships can help you cope with stress more effectively. It can also help lower your chances of facing it in the first place.
Not only can friends relieve emotional pain when we're sad, they'll also listen and give us their most unconditional support. This can also help reduce our physical pain.
A good friend often sees the best in us, even when we can't see it within ourselves. After experiencing times of failure and disappointment, our true friends bring to light our strengths and personal value.
New friendships are more likely to help you get out of your comfort zone. This can help you let your guard down and embrace new experiences.
New friends give you the ability to get to know someone with a clean slate. There are also no real expectations other than getting to know each other and enjoying each other's company.
Loneliness and social isolation can affect mental and physical well-being. However, casual or superficial friendships often don’t provide much emotional support when compared to true friendship.
Not only have we found lifelong connections through our friends, but many have also found romantic partners, more friends, and even business connections.
Knowing that we belong somewhere is one of humanity's most basic needs. Developing and maintaining close friendships helps foster feelings of belonging.
One of the great benefits of friendship is to have someone we respect opening our eyes to different perspectives. True friends can talk to us and let us know when we let biases, prejudices, anger, and other things get the best of us.
So now that you know the benefits of having friends, are you aware of what makes a good friend? These are some important factors.
Vulnerability is one of the major qualities of a good friend. Opening up and being honest are crucial for creating depth in your relationship. So is admitting your mistakes. Being vulnerable helps others feel comfortable being vulnerable as well.
Good friends are reliable and show up when it matters most. They're consistent and follow through when they say they will.
Friends are the ones that help you during tough times. They make you laugh through your tears. They're also genuinely fun to be around and add joy to your life.
You have a good friend if you feel good around them. They'll care for your well-being, and help lift you up when you're down. A good friend will also value and put as much effort as you into the friendship.
On the opposite side of the coin are toxic friendships. These are defined by control, manipulation, negativity, and drama.
One warning sign of a toxic friend is when they try to emotionally dump their feelings on you. They'll also make you feel less self-confident and create drama for no reason. Letting go of toxic friendships could drastically improve your mental health and open up space for healthy friendships.
At the end of the day, you don't need to be a social butterfly to enjoy the benefits of friendships. The most fulfilling and long-lasting relationships are those few friends you feel fully yourself around. Keep them close, and you'll genuinely improve your life.
Sources: (Healthline) (Science of People)
See also: How and when to let go of friends
Science-confirmed benefits of having friends
Discover how important friendships truly are
LIFESTYLE International friendship day
An authentic friendship is one of the most wonderful things in life. Good friends bring laughter and joy to daily activities, and support you during hard times. You can trust them to respect your boundaries, even when you disagree with one another. Healthy friendships also involve mutual support, and, on top of that, it's good for your health.
It's a common misconception that you need to have tons of friends to be happy. Studies have revealed that it's not about the number of friends, but rather the quality that leads to true happiness. And having good friends can truly benefit your life in incredible ways.
To find out more, check out the following gallery. Click on!