What Are The Benefits of Socialising?

Friends are more just a shoulder to cry on; close relationships can improve your mental wellbeing and help you become a better person. Here’s why friendships are more important than you think:

1. Having friends increases self-esteem

Whether you’ve just got dumped by your partner or didn’t pass a job interview, your friends are always there to validate your feelings and remind you what an amazing person you are. While everyone has insecurities and doubts about themselves, having close friendships can help you improve your self-worth and not feel defined by setbacks. 

2. It improves resilience 

Resilience is the ability to recover from whatever life throws at you. Overcoming challenges is easier when you’re around people who can offer you emotional support. Friends not only give you space to vent but help you see the light in the tunnel and motivate you to keep going despite obstacles. 

3. It allows you to enjoy better mental wellbeing 

Since humans are social creatures with a need to connect, a lack of close relationships can make life unfulfilling and empty. What’s more, loneliness has been linked to poor mental health and might make it more likely to develop depression.  [1]

4. It gives you a purpose

Socialising isn’t just about spending time with other people but about mental connection. Being able to form strong bonds with others can make you feel like you are where you’re supposed to be in life. When you have someone to rely on and someone who relies on you, you feel needed which gives you a sense of purpose; findings from a recent study show that a sense of belonging is linked to perceived meaning. [2] Even if your other goals don’t work out, you can still find joy in connecting with other people. 

5. It can help you grow

Life is full of ups and downs but if you have friends, there’s always someone to cheer you on. If you set goals for yourself, your friends will support and help you achieve them. Additionally, friendship can help you develop better habits. In one of the previous studies, results showed that participants’ exercise habits depended on their friends’ habits. When you’re close to someone and spend time with them, you’re more likely to model their behaviour. [3]

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 [1] https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-017-1262-x#:~:text=Loneliness%20remained%20a%20clear%20predictor,%2C%201.35%20and%201.21%2C%20respectively.

 [2] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167213499186

 [3] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231180576_The_influence_of_close_others’_exercise_habits_and_perceived_social_support_on_exercise