Shutterstock / Dubova©In a speech earlier this year, King Charles’ message centred around the importance of friendship in a time of need, and we wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments.
After a difficult start to the year healthwise for King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, both have said the outpouring of love and support from the country, their family and their many friends has brought them much comfort.
King Charles
This is also true for many of us who treasure our close friendships.
Here, Fatmata Kamara, a Specialist Nurse Adviser for Bupa UK, shares five benefits of friendship, a lovely message as we look forward to brighter days ahead.
5 benefits of friendship:
1. A happiness boost
Some studies have found that friends can lower our stress hormone cortisol.
A good laugh with our friends can not only boost our mood, but also release feel-good hormones (endorphins) into our bodies. Friends cheer our successes and take pride in our achievements, often giving our mood and confidence a little boost.
2. Much-needed comfort
The last few years has been difficult, particularly with worries about world events and the cost of living crisis, with many of us feeling anxious, worried or stressed about the future.
A good friend can provide us with the support we need when we’re feeling down. They can cheer us up, take our mind off our worries and lift our mood.
Being able to share our feelings with others and hearing a familiar voice can make us feel a little less alone. If you’re struggling with anxiety, stress or any other mental health concern, please do seek medical advice from your GP. There is always support available.
3. Boost self-worth
Friendships work both ways. Being there for our friends can give us a sense of purpose and boost how we feel about ourselves by making us feel needed.
The most important quality in a friendship is the way it makes us feel. So if you feel supported, trust your friends and enjoy spending time with them, chances are you’ll feel good about yourself afterwards.
4. Prevent loneliness
Reducing feelings of loneliness is crucial to wellbeing and good health.
Whether physically or virtually, friends can stop us feeling lonely by providing us with much-needed support when we’re feeling down. Why not pick up the phone now and catch up with one of your friends? It will boost both of you, and maybe help you get something in the diary to look forward to in the months to come.
5. Help you achieve your goals
A strong support network will cheer us on and keep us motivated to achieve our targets.
For example, if you’ve set yourself a goal of exercising regularly, sharing this goal with your friends can help keep you on track. It’s also fun to exercise with a friend, and you may even learn a few new tricks with your workout buddy.
There are lots of opportunities to get creative, too. Why not host a virtual cook-off with your friends, or arrange a time to catch up with a craft session? Or you might just want to chat about a future goal and receive much-needed feedback from someone you trust.
All of these ideas will help improve your mental wellbeing.
Read more health and wellbeing tips from “The People’s Friend”.
Allison Hay I joined the "My Weekly" team thirteen years ago and, more recently, "The People's Friend". I love the variety of topics we cover both online and in the magazines. I manage the digital content for the brands, sharing features and information on the website, social media and in our digital newsletters.
