In honor of Make a Friend Day coming up next week on February 11th, we thought we would pick a quote about friendship and discuss how friendships can have an impact on your mental health.
Many medical studies over the years have found a positive correlation between good friendships and good health. And some of the latest research is also showing a positive correlation between good friendships and good mental health.
What Are Some of the Mental Health Benefits of Forming Good Friendships?
Good friends provide a support system for each other. They celebrate good times together and are there for each other during the not so good times. Some other benefits of good friendships include:
- Helping to prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation
- Impacting your overall feelings of happiness
- Providing you with a sense of community, belonging
- Helping to improve your self-confidence and self-worth
- Providing a safe place and sounding board whenever needed
Building New Friendships
As adults, we know that good friendships can come and go over time. So many things in our busy everyday lives can get in the way of maintaining our existing friendships. And for many people, making new friends can be difficult. It can be especially difficult for those that suffer from certain mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. And those are the people that could benefit from forming good friendships the most.
There are a lot of different ways to meet new people. But you have to take the initiative to do so and you need to be persistent in your efforts. And you won’t connect with everyone you attempt to build a friendship with.
Here’s a quote to keep in mind about connecting with others from Rachel Naomi Remen, PhD: ‘The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.’
Listening is one of the best ways to connect and to start building a beautiful friendship.
Need Assistance Making Friends? Or Need Tools to Help You Overcome Anxiety That Might Be Holding You Back?
If anxiety, depression, or another mental health issue is getting in the way of you being able to form new friendships, mental health counseling can help. Dr. Alyx MacTernan can help you tame your anxiety and teach you tools to use in different social situations. Contact Elemental Mental Health to learn more.