Psychological research overwhelmingly suggests that a good and resilient network of friends is one of the best ways of managing negative thinking, anxiety and other forms of suboptimal mental health.
Studies have shown that people with close friend groups, for example, have a lower rate of depression and anxiety, whilst avoiding a lot of the downsides that can come with pharmaceutical solutions. Coronavirus and its associated lockdowns have shown many people just how important social interaction can be for good mental health; here are some tips for maintaining a healthy network of friends to support each other:
Doing activities together
Friendships are much more effective when they’re grounded in a common activity or interest. It’s a lot easier to stay bonded with someone when you have a shared passion that you can discuss or learn about, rather than simply having a friendship in abstract. Sports are often a good thing to share with friends; not only can they offer something to anchor the friendship, but physical activity is proven to release endorphins and contribute to good mental health. If you’re not very keen on things like sports, then even visiting museums or galleries can be a good way to develop an interest together. You’ll both enjoy the activity and be able to reap the social benefits of the friendship.
Keeping it regular
Modern life is always busy, and you can often find yourself deprioritising friendships as work and chores pile up. That’s the natural thing to do, but it’s also often a dangerous thing for the friendship. As the gaps in between seeing one another grow, it can become harder and harder to maintain a meaningful relationship, and things can deteriorate.
Human beings tend to thrive on regularity (within reason, of course; nothing too regimented is good either), so try and arrange regular meet-ups with your friends and make them as much of a priority as work or family. Even if you’re only seeing each other twice a year, having something concrete in the diary is a proven psychological trick to make you invest more into the friendship.
Build trust
Having a friend means having someone to confide in and to talk to about all the secrets you may have. Studies suggest that gradually increasing the depth of conversation – moving from superficial topics like food and drink to more complex ones like feelings and aspirations – can create a friendship from scratch in less than an hour. So not only is it good for you to confide in your friends – and not bottling emotions in is widely understood to be good for your physical and mental health – but it can also create a sense of emotional intimacy that can make your friendship even better!
