If you want to live a longer, happier life, friends matter – even more than family. So says the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging, which found that close relationships with children and other relatives had minimal impact on how long you live, but the people with the most friends tended to outlive those with the fewest by 22%.
Even more important is the quality of your friendships.
A clinical review of nearly 150 studies, involving over 300,000 people followed for an average of more than 7 years, found that people with strong social ties had a 50% better chance of survival, regardless of age, sex, or health status, than those with weaker ties.
Remember that “strong social ties” means real friends, not social-media friends or connections.
One way to increase the likelihood of living longer is to nurture the most important relationships in your life.
The easiest way to do that? Think about what you can do to help the people closest to you be happier. And then do it. See “care” as a verb. Step in. Step up. Encourage. Help. Do something selfless, just because you can.
GFS Perth has been enabling Friendship for almost 140 years. Check our socials or Events Calendar. #FriendshipRevolution
