• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

5 Ways Friendships Improve Your Health

June 6, 2016 by DrAndreaBonior Leave a Comment

Stress relief. When things get crazy, you might feel far too busy to schedule that brunch. But when you’re slammed, that’s actually when you need your friends the most: the laughter, distraction, and catharsis that they can provide are among the best medicine there is. And they work wonders for bringing down your blood pressure, clearing your mind, and helping you sleep better. (It’s not just the mimosas!)

Countering Depression. You might have enough Facebook “friends” to fill a concert hall but still feel a profound sense of isolation. Close, nourishing relationships, however–those of the genuine kind–provide meaning and support that research has shown can help ward off depressive thoughts and behaviors, and help you recover more quickly if you do succumb. What’s at stake? Depression’s effects are not just mental: it’s been implicated in everything from heart disease to chronic pain.

Setting the Example. When you’re good friends with healthy people, you tend to reap immense benefits. That means everything from wearing sunscreen and quitting those cigarettes to being more patient and optimistic is directly affected by the people you choose to spend your time with. Subconsciously and consciously, healthy friends make you want to be a healthier you.

Sounding The Alarm. Not only are your friends role models, but they also serve as fire alarms to alert you to problems with your current health. Many times, it’s your friends who are on your case first, whether you’re hitting the martini bar a bit too much or you’re running yourself ragged at the office. One of our friends’ most important roles is to help us know–and intervene–when we slip into patterns that aren’t good for us.

Overcoming Trauma. In an ideal world, none of us would ever experience something horrific. But trauma happens somewhere, every day of the year: from assaults to car accidents to natural disasters. Amazingly, social support can make a big difference in helping someone recover. In fact, the more solid your friendships are, the smoother your recovery–and the less likely you are to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a potentially debilitating condition.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Living Healthy, Relationships

About DrAndreaBonior

Andrea (Gaynor) Bonior is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. For more than five years, Dr. Bonior has written the twice-weekly mental health column Baggage Check for the Washington Posts Express newspaper, known for its wit and frequent pop culture references. Shes frequently cited in other media, with her expertise most recently appearing on CNN.com, MSNBC.com, Yahoo!, and Voice of America, and she makes regular appearances on Washington, DCs Lets Talk Live. Her first book, The Friendship Fix: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Losing, and Keeping Up With Your Friends (Thomas Dunne/St. Martins), is due out this Winter. In addition to serving on the adjunct faculty of Georgetown University, she maintains a private clinical psychology practice.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Third Child

I Want a Third Child, Except, I Really Don’t

Something strange has been happening to me lately:  I keep … [Read More...] about I Want a Third Child, Except, I Really Don’t

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

toddlers and frequent urination

Toddlers and Frequent Urination

Dating a Man With a Big Ego

Dating a Man With a Big Ego

Signs That Your Toddler Has Been Touched Inappropriately

How to Fix a Broken Slab of Marble

Freeze Cooked & Smoked Ham

How to Freeze Cooked & Smoked Ham

Do You Have to Refrigerate Glazed Donuts?

Do You Have to Refrigerate Glazed Donuts?

Causes of Lethargy in Toddlers

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.