HealthyLife Articles

Category: Social Health

Flourish With Friends 2

Social Health

Good friends are good for your health and well-being.

Do you want to live longer? Spend time with friends! Researchers looked at 148 studies that focused on social relationships and longevity. They concluded that people with stronger social relationships had a 50 percent increased chance of survival. This finding held across age, gender, initial health status, cause of death, and length of follow-up period. Specific studies have shown that:

* Women with breast cancer who took part in a support group lived twice as long and had less pain as women who did not.

* People with successful friendships are less likely to have depression and immune problems.

* People with the least variety of social relationships were 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold. This was true even though being around others exposes people to more viruses.

* Having social support increases self-esteem and helps people cope with stress, grief, trauma, and relationship problems.

Benefit from friendships.

* Give and get emotional support.

* Relax and have fun doing things you enjoy together.

* Encourage each other to follow healthy lifestyle habits, such as being physically active and quitting tobacco use.

* Look forward to celebrating good times.

* Be comfortable to express wants, needs, and opinions without being judged.

* Feel a sense of purpose.

* Give and receive unconditional acceptance.

Being a good friend takes work.

* Communication is a two-way street. Discuss what’s going on in your life. Listen to what’s going on with your friend.

* Expect and give respect. Keep your friend’s private issues private. Ask that he or she does the same.

* Focus on solving problems, not just complaining about them.

* Make time for each other no matter how busy you are.

* Offer help whether or not your friend asks you for it.

Action Step

Call, text, email, or write a note to a friend today. Let your friend know how much he or she means to you.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Help Others And Let Others Help You

Social Health

* Attend a support group with others who share the same health problem you have.

* Volunteer in a soup kitchen or food bank.

* Take care of your friend’s or family member’s children and let them return the favor.

* Call, text, email, or visit a friend today. Let your friend know how much they mean to you.

Dos

* Share your feelings with trusted relatives and friends.

* Vent your feelings and give and get support on social media networks.

Don’ts

* Don’t let your emotions get “bottled up inside.”

* Don’t post any messages or photos that you would want an employer or stranger to see.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Love And Be Loved

Social Health

Start with loving yourself.

Build your own sense of self-worth.

* “Know thyself.” Define who you are in a way that does not depend on what other people think. Accept your weaknesses, but focus on your strengths. Accept others for their strengths and weaknesses, too. Trying to change other people is not realistic and can lead to them feeling rejected.

* Do things you love and are good at. The more time you spend doing things you love to do, the better it makes you feel. Doing things that you are good at gives you pride and raises your self-esteem.

* Look on the bright side and be with positive people. Positive energy spreads from one person to the next like an electrical charge.

* Speak in an assertive way. This is expressing your wants and need without hurting the feelings of others or putting them down. This helps prevent an aggressive response which can lead to feeling rejected.

* Be with and make new friends who have the same interests.

– Take a class.

– Join a scrapbooking club or book readers group.

– Play a favorite sport.

* Seek a support system. If you need help to feel accepted for who you are, be with family, friends, and coworkers who care for you without judgment. Join a support group with others who understand what you are going through and will accept you.

* Share intimate times with a partner. Raise your level of oxytocin, the “love hormone,” through a close, intimate relationship. This includes physical closeness through holding hands, hugging, and caressing, as well as sex. It also includes being willing to share your most private thoughts.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love & affection.”

– Buddha

Action Step

Set aside time from your hectic day or week to engage in activities that you love being a part of. And make concrete plans to spend one-on-one time with your partner or soul mate.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Show Kindness To Strangers

Social Health

Think about expanding how you show kindness, especially to people you don’t know (yet).

More smiles:Smile at three or more strangers today.

Coupons for others:Leave unused coupons next to where the matching products are found in the store.

Helping hand:Return shopping carts for people at the grocery store.

“Thanks”:Send a thank-you card to the officers at your local police or fire station.

Coffee kindness:Pay for coffee for the person in line behind you.

Parking kudos:Leave a note on a person’s windshield about the great parking job they did.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Volunteer

Social Health

Volunteer work is one way to reduce stress and negative emotions.

Volunteer work puts the focus on others and less on your problems. Studies suggest it also boosts “feel-good” hormones and social connections, which are powerful stress busters.

Be a mentor for a child. Deliver meals on wheels. Volunteer your time at your church, library, or local senior center.

You may also think about volunteering at an animal shelter, as a lifeguard, or do social media for a local community organization.

Helping others helps you in other ways, too. When you volunteer, you are building skills and your network, which may help you advance your career. It also helps you grow personally by doing something fulfilling, which can add purpose and meaning to your life.

Find out places that need volunteers fromvolunteer.govandPointsofLight.org.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
You’re Built For Friendship

Social Health

Having friends starts with being a friend. Pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Take someone to lunch. Ask a stranger how their day is going.

A good friend can add spice to life and know just how to put a smile on your face. More than that, friends can act as buffers in your life by minimizing stress and protecting your heart health.

* A healthy social life may help to stabilize blood pressure and boost your immune system.

* Strong social relationships may help you reduce inflammation in your body – a risk factor for heart disease.

* People may be more likely to adopt healthy habits, such as starting a heart-healthy diet, when they’re doing it with friends.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026