Health Chatter: How to nurture your friendships and protect your mental health
- Alice Monk
- Jan 12, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 14
Loneliness has been shown to affect both mental and physical health — with some studies comparing its impact on mortality to that of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. So it makes sense that nurturing fulfilling friendships can offer long-term benefits for your wellbeing.
How does friendship help your mental health?
Humans are social creatures, and even if you sometimes feel like you prefer your own company, complete isolation can lead to depression and poor mental health. So how do friendships help your mental health?
Having other people to talk to provides you with a wider viewpoint and helps you to keep things in perspective.
Talking about your worries with someone you trust can relieve feelings of stress. And laughter — something friends often bring — is known to reduce cortisol and boost mood.
Knowing that you have a support network to call on provides peace of mind.
Friends are also usually pleasurable to be around and encourage you to take part in activities that you might not do on your own.
Helping others has been shown to be good for your mental health, and friendships are reciprocal relationships. Just as you benefit from the support and company of your friends, so they benefit from having you around and the support you offer to them.
How does friendship help your physical health?
Bottling up emotions leads to stress, which puts strain on your body — increasing the risk of conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease. Studies have shown that people who were able to talk about their worries had lower blood pressure, therefore reducing their risk of heart disease and other serious conditions.
Chronic stress has also been linked to immune dysfunction and slower recovery from illness.
Older people who maintain active social lives are also more likely to live longer than their peers who feel isolated.
How to nurture your friendships
Keeping your friendships strong might come naturally to you, but for some people it requires a bit more effort, and that’s ok. Here are some ways to make sure you’re nurturing your friendships:
Quality is better than quantity. When it comes to friendships focus your efforts on the friendships that matter most to you. It’s better to save your energy for two or three close friends than try to be friends with absolutely everyone.
Try to give as much as you receive. The level of support each person needs will naturally ebb and flow over time. When you’re having a hard time, let your friends be there for you, but remember to show up for them too when they need you later down the line.
Make time to see friends. An odd text here and there is great but having a proper conversation in real time shows the nonverbal cues and body language that are missing from text-based conversations. If you can’t meet in person due to distance or health, then a phone or video call is a good option.
Learn when to listen and when to talk. It’s natural to want to help our friends, but offering unsolicited advice at every turn can be unwelcome and unhelpful. Wait to be asked before you start trying to fix their problems. Similarly, try to listen without judgement, even if you suspect your friend might be in the wrong. You don’t have to agree with them, but you don’t have to make them feel worse either. Instead of judging or fixing, try asking them what you can do to help.
Make memories together. Some friendships thrive solely on conversation, but many may benefit from an added boost of activity. You might try a monthly dinner, a local event, or a creative class. If distance is a factor, virtual quizzes or online escape rooms can still bring you together.
Be mindful of digital overwhelm. While technology helps us stay in touch, it can also contribute to a sense of disconnection — especially when interactions are shallow or rushed. In a world of constant notifications and AI-generated content, making time for genuine, human connection matters more than ever.
Our sources and for more information: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ https://www.mindwise.org/ Free Health Promotion Resources: Be the first to receive Health Chatter information, and other content related to employee health and wellbeing by signing up to our Health Chatter emails.
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