You do not have friends? You risk dying sooner.

We need friends. Simply. "You can eat as much as you want, drink as much alcohol as your heart desires, neglect yourself as much as you want, avoid all physical exercise and inhale the most polluted air, and the difference will be insignificant. However , the lack of friends radically affects the length of life, " he writes dramatically in his book titled "Friends" by Oxford professor and anthropologist Robin Dunbar. Mother Teresa was of the same opinion, saying that loneliness and the feeling of being unnecessary are the worst poverty.

Friends are better than sports.

Scientists say that a rich social life reduces stress , improves mood, encourages positive health-related behaviors, aids in recovery and has a positive effect on the heart ¹ . Participants in a relevant study who had a stable circle of friends and acquaintances and were socially active had more life satisfaction ² . Friendships and other close relationships give us a sense of belonging to a community. It is one of the basic human needs. When we have people we trust, on whom we can lean, in whom we can confide and with whom we can laugh, we feel better.

The sense of fulfillment and life satisfaction decreases when we feel a lack of such relationships ³ . Their lack makes us more susceptible to stress, which in turn is associated with a greater risk of depression, neurosis or other mental disorders . Feeling supported by friends gives us a greater sense of control over life and its meaning. We feel less lonely, we feel better.

Friend is the best example.

Friendship also helps develop healthy habits . When our loved ones live healthily, we tend to follow their lead ⁴ . For example, if a friend decides to go on a diet, there is a good chance that we will do the same. Copying healthy habits of loved ones is not everything. Surrounded by kind people, we have more strength to fight the disease .

Such trends can be seen in all age groups, both among teenagers, middle-aged and very mature people. In the latter group, this seems especially significant because it goes far beyond psychological benefits. Many studies show that the presence of friends in life helps maintain cognitive functions and health among old people . It is important to remember that many people who require constant help and care may simply feel lonely. This can be seen in the research conducted by Szlachetna Paczka. Her "Loneliness Report" draws one conclusion: loneliness, like a virus, kills ⁵ . And this is not a metaphor.

A quarter of Europeans feel lonely.

The pandemic and the necessary isolation and social distancing have made us feel more alone than ever. Data from the European Commission show that the number of people who feel this way has doubled since the beginning of the pandemic. Currently, one in four Europeans is lonely ⁶ .

It looks like the world will follow the lead of the UK, which established the Ministry of Loneliness in 2018. That's because as many as 9 million people in this country have complained about loneliness. "By bringing together health services, business, local authorities, charities and community groups, we will raise awareness of loneliness and help people build connections to lead happier and healthier lives," Minister Tracey Crouch wrote on Twitter.

Bibliography :

1. Ducharme J., “Why Spending Time With Friends Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Health.” Time, June 25, 2019
2. Lin S., Faust L., Robles-Granda P., Kajdanowicz T., Chawla NV, “Social network structure is predictive of health and wellness.” PLoS ONE 2019
3. Amati V., Meggiolaro S., Rivellini G., Zaccarin S., “Social relations and life satisfaction: the role of friends.” Genus. 2018
4. Lu P,, Oh J., Leahy K. E., Chopik W. J., “Friendship Importance Around the World: Links to Cultural Factors, Health, and Well-Being.” Front Psychol. 2021
5. “Report on loneliness. The first year of the pandemic", Szlachetna Paczka, 2021, accessed November 30, 2021.
6. “Loneliness in the European Union”, Knowledge for Policy, European Commission, November 26, 2021.