The Power Of Friendship: Enhancing Mental And Physical Health
The power of friendship can significantly enrich our lives. Through our bonds with friends, we can find a sense of belonging and connection that can boost our self-confidence and support us during challenging times. Friendships are often considered key to childhood and adolescent development, and healthy friendships can promote mental health over the course of one's life. If you struggle to form or maintain healthy connections with others, consider working with a therapist to enhance your social skills.
The power of friendship for physical health
Early humans likely considered friendships vital to survival, as other people could protect individuals against immediate danger and provide benefits like ensuring one's food supply, providing companionship, and offering support.
Research suggests that friendships have the power to protect against illnesses and promote longevity by positively affecting the way we respond to stress, since stress tends to be associated with various health conditions.
Many of the positive effects of friendships seem to be tied to qualities like trust, support, and intimacy.
Physical health benefits that can illustrate the power of friendship
Some possible health benefits associated with supportive friendships include the following:
- Decreased blood pressure
- Reduced heart rate reactivity
- Increased longevity
- Better physiological functioning
- Improved cardiovascular functioning
- Reduced hypertension
- Enhanced immune system function
The influence of friendship on mental health
Healthy friendships and meaningful connections have the power to offer emotional support, boost self-confidence and one’s sense of belonging, and contribute to overall well-being. Friends can also provide support during difficult times, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety.
Establishing and maintaining friendships tends to be key to childhood and adolescent development, and having healthy friendships has the power to foster better mental health over the course of one's life.
Moreover, researchers note that friendships can protect against the negative effects of difficult experiences and prevent internalizing behaviors associated with depression and anxiety.
Recent research also indicates that friendship can protect one's well-being and reduce the effects of stress experienced in marital conflict.
Friendship benefits for mental health
Some of the mental health benefits associated with healthy friendships include those listed below:
- Protection against mental health conditions like depression and anxiety
- Improved coping skills
- Emotional support
- Enhanced emotion regulation skills
- Improved ability to manage stress
- Increased sense of belonging
- Higher self-confidence
- Reduced sense of loneliness
- Encouragement to live a healthy lifestyle
- Promotion of personal growth
- Access to other perspectives
Video games, shows, and other media featuring the power of friendship
Friendship may not only be a key element in our lives, but it can also be a common trope in storytelling. For example, many types of media feature friendships that save the hero and help them fight the villain or the “bad guy.” Often, these friendships are introduced in the first few episodes of TV shows and continue to play notable roles throughout the series.
A common trope in media is that having friends makes one strong. This may reflect the importance of friendship in promoting overall well-being. The support of one’s friends may help a person believe they are strong and capable.
Video games and shows that remind us of the power of friendship
Below are several examples of games that feature the power of friendship as key to the success of the protagonist:
- Naruto, which some fans describe as an "epic battle of friendship"
- Sonic Adventure
- Kingdom Hearts
- Final Fantasy IV
- Two Friends and the Snake God
These games may illustrate the power of friendship. In other types of media, such as professional wrestling, however, having many friends is usually tied to the villain—with more than two or three friends typically being referred to as stables—as the hero is expected to manage on their own. As a subversion of the trope, having many friends means that dirty play may be expected in professional wrestling.
Social media and friendship
Social media has the power to keep up with old friends' lives, make new connections, share interests and experiences, and enable communication. Social media can also help individuals learn more about their friends. While previous studies suggested that the human brain could comfortably maintain approximately 150 relationships, newer research suggests that this number may be flexible, as "the brain can be trained in having more social contacts."
The detrimental effects of social media
While it can have many benefits, social media also has the power encourage less in-person interaction and promote a more superficial, curated version of our lives, which can lead to disconnection and induce feelings of envy when people compare themselves to others.
For example, findings indicate an increase in loneliness and depression among adolescents—a demographic group that tends to make extensive use of social media.
Moreover, research suggests that those who use social media extensively may inadvertently replace real-world connections with virtual ones, which can contribute to feelings of loneliness.
Health-promoting friendship qualities
Trust, support, and emotional intimacy in a friendship can promote health and well-being. Being able to rely on a friend's understanding and compassion may also alleviate stress. Moreover, open communication, laughter, and interaction through shared activities may also play a role in promoting a positive and healthy mental state.
Qualities in friendships that can promote overall health and well-being
Some of the ways that friendships can promote health and well-being include the following:
- Trust: Trust can foster a sense of security and comfort in ourselves and others.
- Support: Receiving support and encouragement from a friend can help us navigate life's challenges and relieve stress.
- Intimacy: Emotional intimacy in friendship can help us know we are understood and accepted as we share personal experiences.
While friendships can enrich our lives, one does not necessarily need close friends to benefit from social connections. Studies indicate that interacting with acquaintances and even strangers can boost well-being and mental health.
How to promote healthy friendships
There can be many ways to promote meaningful friendship with others, which may include old friends, newer acquaintances you would like to know better, and strangers you come across in your daily routine. While spending quality time together can be important, fostering the qualities discussed below can be crucial for healthy friendship.
Qualities of healthy connections
As one of the most significant bonds in life, healthy friendships tend to be associated with notable effects on mental health and well-being. Healthy friendship often involves the following characteristics:
- Open and honest communication
- Listening without judgment
- Empathy
- Sharing experiences, joys, and disappointments
- Support and encouragement
- Respecting boundaries (your own and theirs)
- Trust and vulnerability
- Acceptance of each other's unique qualities, personalities, and challenges
- Encouragement of each other's personal growth and new perspectives
- Compromise
- Reciprocity of consideration, respect, and other qualities that nourish the bond
- Gratitude
- Healthy conflict resolution
Therapy to foster mental health
Many people encounter challenges with making new friends and keeping old ones. If you believe that you might benefit from learning ways to foster healthy friendship, speaking with a therapist might help. However, if going to in-person appointments presents a challenge, you might want to give online therapy a try. Through platforms like BetterHelp, you can attend sessions with a licensed therapist from any location with an internet connection.
A 2024 study compared the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) to automated messages for addressing loneliness. The study's findings indicated that those who received guided ICBT experienced greater benefits than the group who received automatic messages. The study also noted that human contact through ICBT guidance reduced participants' sense of loneliness, leading the researchers to suggest that "loneliness can be reduced with ICBT."
Takeaway
What is the power of friendship?
The power of friendship describes how friends can positively impact each other just through spending time together and having a platonic relationship. For some, a friend can be like a brother or sister that offers guidance through their words and actions to support their struggles. They may be present when others aren’t, putting effort into getting to know you and supporting you. Friendship, like any form of social connection, can improve mental and physical health, which may reduce your risk of harm from conditions that may form when isolated, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
What is the power of a true friend?
A true friend has the power to help you discover your potential, find a new perspective in difficult moments, support you when you’re hurt, and listen when you need to vent. These friends may be people you can rely on at any moment, who truly care about your story and believe the world is better with you in it. If you have a close friend you’re reminded of when you think of these traits, tell them how much you appreciate their support. You can also take steps to be a true friend to those in your life, even if you don’t always receive the same care in return.
What is the saying about the power of friendship?
One saying about the power of friendship is, “friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” This phrase spreads the idea that platonic relationships can inspire teamwork and help people focus on shared characteristics instead of expecting the worst from others.
What is the power of friendship anime?
The power of friendship trope can be seen in some anime and video games, showing characters beat their enemies or any evil forces or immediate danger, including hell (in some shows) due to their close connection that is impossible to break regardless of the circumstances. The characters may gain special powers that keep them alive while they defeat their nemesis. Often, the power of friendship is only seen with heroes, not the villains of a series. One anime that shows this trope is Fairy Tale. Another series some people may enjoy with this trope is My Little Pony, which isn’t technically an anime but does explore the topic of friendship and the power of a soul bond with others.
Why is friendship so important to mental health?
Friendship benefits mental health because it’s a form of close connection with others, and there may be less chance for conflict since friendships don’t often involve the same forced pressures as romantic relationships might. Friends can talk about the crap they experience while dating with their buddies and lean on each other when they reach the point of distress. Friends can also last a lifetime and are supposed to be people you can rely on for literally anything. However, friendships can also fail and involve conflict, so they’re not a cure-all for mental health struggles.
What video games show a strong friendship?
Video games that explore friendship more than just a bit may include Kingdom Hearts, Overwatch, It Takes Two, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Last of Us, Life is Strange, and Tell Me Why.
What is the strength of friendship in mental and physical health?
If you’re thinking friendship doesn’t strongly impact mental or physical health, it may serve you to look at the research. Researchers make a point to explore this in adolescent relationships, specifically, but friendships can benefit adults, too. If you’ve struggled to make friends as an adult, you might experience the adverse impacts of loneliness. Joining a club, talking to people at events, and making virtual connections are a few ways to help this issue.
What are some “true meaning of friendship” quotes to post on social media?
Below are some quotes about the true meaning of friendship to post on social media:
- “There is nothing on this Earth more to be prized than true friendship.” - Thomas Aquinas
- “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” - Henry Ford
- “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” - Walter Winchell
- “Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing.” - Octavia Butler
- “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” - Jim Morrison
What is the power of positive friendship?
Positive friendship can give you a place to rest and receive support. When you struggle, a positive friend can talk to you about what you’re going through and give you compassion. Over time, having a positive relationship may even prolong your life.
What is the deep meaning of friendship?
The deep meaning of friendship is a bond between two people that is built on platonic care, respect, and sometimes love. Friendship can be powerful and just as important as romantic or familial relationships. Many people value their friends as much as their other loved ones.
- Previous Article
- Next Article