Our best friends are some of the most important people in our lives. We rely on them for a lot of things from emotional support to a fun day out. Where would we be without them!
We meet a lot of people throughout our lives and make a lot of friends. From childhood through to adulthood we will have friendships with many people, be they long or short term, but all of them help to shape us a person. They teach us how to treat others, how to laugh, forgive and love. I can safely say that my friends make me a better person! I’m now at an age where I don’t have a massive circle of friends but the ones that I do have; I couldn’t imagine myself without.
One of the most important things our best friends do for us is keeping us mentally strong. A Harvard study has shown that strong friendships can promote brain health! Your friends are there for you when you need advice (hopefully they are!), they can help relieve stress in our lives by listening to our problems and just by being there for us. They can also help us make better lifestyle choices. I know that I can tell any of my best friends the problems that I might have, even if they don’t give specific advice it can be really useful to just have people you are so comfortable around, that you can tell them anything and know that they will listen. Surrounding ourselves with positive people will give us a better outlook on life, we’re happiest when we are with happy people.
Loneliness can be painful, especially if you live alone then loneliness can easily find its way into your life. Sometimes even when we are surrounded by people we can feel lonely. This is another reason why our friends are so important in our lives. It is always worth putting the time and effort into seeing our best friends as they fill any lonely holes in our lives. Even spending a short amount of time with people who make us happy can fulfil us so much!
Friendships work in two ways; not only do you benefit from seeing the people that you love but you are also helping them. Once you are aware of how you fulfil your best friends lives you will want to keep up the relationship with them. If they are making you happy then hopefully you should be making them happy. Friendships can be just as emotionally gratifying for both people as romantic relationships are.
As I wanted to write about friendship I asked one of my friends what it is that makes her friends important to her. Her list consisted of, ‘they make me laugh, listen to my problems, they take pictures of me, they share memories and they recommend songs and dance with me to said songs’. Honestly I think this sums up all you could ever need from a best friend.
