Get by with a little help from our friends
You stand to gain a lot from having good friends, perhaps more than you might have thought. They might drive you crazy at times, but the benefits of having a reliable friend circle is unlike any other. And now, a decade long study conducted by the Center for Aging Studies at Flinders University, Australia corroborates the above. The study involved about 1,500 elderly people and revealed that those who have a large network of friends tend to live longer by about 22% than those who have the least number of friends.
The reason for this trend can be the fact that good friends will always discourage you from acquiring bad habits like smoking or alcoholism. Also, good times spent in the company of your friends acts as a deterrent to disorders like depression or loneliness. On the other hand, they help boost your self-esteem and provide you with support when you need them most. With advancing age, people become more selective as far as their choice of friends is concerned and hence, spend more time with those whom they like.
Close family ties or an excellent relationship with children doesn’t seem to have any effect on the life expectancy of a person. Thus, though family ties are important, they don’t have much impact on longevity.
The reason for this trend can be the fact that good friends will always discourage you from acquiring bad habits like smoking or alcoholism. Also, good times spent in the company of your friends acts as a deterrent to disorders like depression or loneliness. On the other hand, they help boost your self-esteem and provide you with support when you need them most. With advancing age, people become more selective as far as their choice of friends is concerned and hence, spend more time with those whom they like.
Close family ties or an excellent relationship with children doesn’t seem to have any effect on the life expectancy of a person. Thus, though family ties are important, they don’t have much impact on longevity.
Health Benefits of Having Good Friends
In a study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, it was shown that people with a dependable network of friends and relatives were in a better position to deal with stress. The study showed that friends not only come in handy during adverse situations, they also chip in with material aid and information, apart from the much needed emotional support that is so very important for overcoming stress situations. Having good friends does have other benefits as well, like you tend to take better care of yourself in the company of your friends. An active friend circle also ensures you have better control over your lives and is never short on self-esteem.
On the other hand, those without a network of friends have a higher risk of succumbing to a heart attack. In fact, studies have even proved that you stand a better chance of preventing common cold if you have lots of friends around you. This, in spite of the fact that your exposure to viruses is greater when you spend more time with them.
In a study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, it was shown that people with a dependable network of friends and relatives were in a better position to deal with stress. The study showed that friends not only come in handy during adverse situations, they also chip in with material aid and information, apart from the much needed emotional support that is so very important for overcoming stress situations. Having good friends does have other benefits as well, like you tend to take better care of yourself in the company of your friends. An active friend circle also ensures you have better control over your lives and is never short on self-esteem.
On the other hand, those without a network of friends have a higher risk of succumbing to a heart attack. In fact, studies have even proved that you stand a better chance of preventing common cold if you have lots of friends around you. This, in spite of the fact that your exposure to viruses is greater when you spend more time with them.
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