6 Reasons Friends Are Important
Friendship is a strange concept when you stop to think about it; take complete strangers who aren’t related at all and give them some things in common, and you can have a friendship that lasts for life. There is no reason for who we become friends with in many cases, and often it can just be luck or circumstance that puts us together. However, despite the relative randomness of it all, friendship has a number of benefits to our lives. Here are some of the biggest reasons to have a close circle of nearest and dearest.
More Self-Confidence
It’s easy to doubt your own abilities and how you are living your life, and this can lead to a massive loss of self-confidence. When you aren’t self-confident, you can easily miss out on opportunities to better yourself through promotion, applying for a new job, or just trying something new in your life in general. Although you may doubt yourself, your friends won’t doubt you. In fact, far from it; they will boost your self-confidence by reminding you that you can do whatever it is you are worried about. They know you intimately, and they understand why you are afraid, but they also know that this is definitely something you are capable of and will help you to see that too.
In return, think of the times your friends have had their own self-doubts. It’s probable that you were there for them to help them realize their true potential. It is just one of thing important things friends can do for one another.
Prevent Loneliness
Being alone is good for us sometimes. It’s when we can truly reflect on what we’re doing and recharge and re-energize, ready to face new challenges. Being lonely is something entirely different. It’s possible to be alone but not lonely because we have good friends who are on the other end of the phone, or who will always reply to a text or message. It’s possible to be with many other people and still be lonely because none of them have a connection with you. It is another reason why having friends is important, and why meeting up with them for a group smoke session, a meal, an activity, or just for a quick cup of coffee is good for us.
Feeling lonely for a long period of time can easily turn into depression which is a terrible mental illness that has a devastating effect on lives. If you have friends who you can always rely on, even if they live many hundreds or thousands of miles away, you won’t be lonely, even if you are on your own.
Someone To Talk To
Keeping your thoughts and feelings bottled up inside you with no one to talk to is bad for your health. It’s bad for your mental health to begin with because it can lead to depression, anxiety, and stress, all of which have a seriously negative impact on your life and what you are able to do with it. It’s also bad for your physical health; having a problem that you can’t discuss and find answers to, or even just talk about in general without particularly looking for an answer, can cause an increase in blood pressure which in turn can if left unchecked, lead to a stroke or heart disease.
Just being able to talk to a good friend who understands and who won’t judge you is all-important because it will allow your problems to diminish and your health to be better because of it. If the problem is severe, however, it may be worth at least considering speaking to a professional about it. A counselor or therapist can often be of use in serious situations.
The Reality Check
We all make mistakes in life, and although most are tiny and, in the end, fairly inconsequential, some are huge and can have a lasting effect on our lives. Friends can help to prevent these mistakes a lot of the time, assuming you are open and honest about your plans, of course. They will give you a reality check when it is needed to stop you from doing something that could be dangerous or cause difficulties in your life either now or in the future. Friends, in other words, help you to keep your feet on the ground when that is required.
You’re Accepted
We all have moments when we think we’re unusual or weird, and when we think that what we enjoy doing is ‘uncool’ or crazy. A true friend will never think that; they will accept us for who we are and what we do because they love us just the way we are.
Remember that we all have flaws and weaknesses and that’s just part of being human. The problem is that some people judge far too harshly and that can make those flaws and weaknesses seem a lot worse than they truly are. Friends will never do that; they will look at the positive aspects of your life and personality and boost that up, helping you to feel good and happy.
Help To Keep You Active
Friendship is about more than keeping your mind healthy, even if that is an important part of it. It’s also about keeping your body active. Having friends means that you will get out of the house a lot more to go on day trips with them, or out for the evening. It doesn’t really matter what you do or where you go, because going anywhere is going to ensure you are more active than you would be if you were staying at home on the sofa. Keeping fit, combined with a well-balanced diet, is the best way to ensure that you are less likely to develop illness and disease, so it’s an important part of friendship to consider. To make it even better, why not ask your friends to be your gym buddies, or to join a fitness class with you? That way you get to spend time together and get super fit too.