Health tip of day #3- Call/ see a friend!
We are not made to go through this world alone. When we sit in our fears, hurts, or struggles all by ourselves it can seem overwhelming at times and feel like it is all that we can see. However, that doesn’t have to be the case; we have the opportunity to talk to others and reach out to those that care about us we are then able to feel relief by talking about these things that are eating at us. It doesn’t just have to be about bad things either. We can reach out to our friends and family when we are doing well. It can feel good to have support from others and know that they want to celebrate with us.
This past year has been tough and at times it can seem like we are going through the same routine each and every day and that can get quite boring and lonely. Reaching out to a friend can be a great way to break that routine and is great for fighting off mental health problems such as anxiety and depression as well as to increase our level of life satisfaction and self esteem (1, 2).
So go call a friend, go do something outside together, play a game, or stop by and see someone you haven’t seen in awhile. I promise that you will feel better if you are going through something hard or feeling stress. Even if you aren’t it can be very beneficial for your mental health and overall well-being to laugh and have a good time with a friend (3).
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References
Gariépy, G., Honkaniemi, H., & Quesnel-Vallée, A. (2016). Social support and protection from depression: Systematic review of current findings in western countries. British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(4), 284-293. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.115.169094
Living well index. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://about.sainsburys.co.uk/about-us/live-well-for-less/living-well-index
Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan, C. A., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress: from neurobiology to clinical practice. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), 4(5), 35–40.
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