Friendships On Your Health

Introduction

Throughout high school, I have really learned to appreciate friendships. It's so easy to take everything for granted, right? We often forget to take moment to be thankful for everything we have around us. Thanksgiving is a perfect reminder of this, even so I think we should be grateful every day. I have many great people in my life, and thankfully, I haven't had to deal with a toxic friend. To those who have dealt with many toxic friends, those who have not, or those who might even be a toxic friend, hopefully by the end of this post you will be able to fully understand some of the benefits of having good friendships in your life. After all, we all want positivity in our lives and it is never a good feeling when you are surrounded by endless negativity!

Good Friendships = Good Benefits

Having friends is something none of us can deny feels good. Even if you enjoy being alone and maybe do not like hanging out with others, you will be able to experience high schools events in a different way. You will see that having good friendships help make high school more enjoyable. As stated by a post by Heidi Godman on Harvard Health Publishing, studies have shown "that having strong social networks or taking part in social activities is associated with a reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia." But how does it do this? Heidi Godman explains that these social interactions are when we are using most of our brain and therefore improving our cognition.

Three other health benefits mentioned in the post by Heidi Godman was longevity, stress reduction, and mood. Think about that one friend who always makes you laugh. Having someone like that can really brighten your day. You can probably think of ways friends reduce stress and improve mood so I won't go too deeply into that. The post mentions that having someone you trust and who listens to you can help you get out of 'fight or flight' mode. Friendships offer so much for our lives and just having one good person who is always there for you, can make the biggest difference.

My Tips For Building/Making Friendships

It's easier for some people to make friends and that is okay. I know I used to have a hard time with trying to talk to people. However, I've grown into being less afraid and just being kind to everyone. I want to just share my top 3 tips for everyone whether you have a lot of friends or not. This is not in any specific order but my first tip is just being nice to anyone you meet. Your first impression is what sticks to everyone so I think it is super important to be considerate right from the very beginning. Secondly, do not be closed off when someone approaches you. Whether this is being on your phone or avoiding people because you do not want to talk to them, these are both not useful if you want to have more friendships in your life. Third, do not rely on others to talk to you, I suggest starting conversations on your own. That's how some of the best friendships start!

Conclusion

To summarize everything, friendships can provide cognitive benefits, improve longevity, mood, and reduce stress. Moving on, this week was thanksgiving and I hope everyone had a lot of fun. I encourage you all to think of 5-10 things that you are grateful for. I know I had some good food yesterday and it was nice to get together with my family. I have to say November ended faster than I thought, it feels like each year goes by faster and faster. I want to end this post by saying, building friendships can be challenging, but it's worth the effort. Thank you so much for reading my blog post. Remember you are not alone!

Works Cited

Godman, Heidi. “Get Back Your Social Life to Boost Thinking, Memory, and Health.” Harvard Health, 22 Oct. 2023, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/get-back-your-social-life-to-boost-thinking-memory-and-health.