Your Physical and Mental Health Is Improved When You Spend Time With Friends

Do you have a BFF, which in contemporary jargon is a best friend forever? Your Pegasus caregivers in Newhall know how important having good friends is to your health. They can help you nurture existing friendships and develop new friends.

You may have a shared history with a friend from childhood. That can help you keep things in perspective. New friends with different life experiences can give you new ways of looking at the events in your life.

A friend is an individual with whom you enjoy mutual respect and affection. A true friend is a pearl of great value. As well as providing companionship and understanding, friends can help you live longer.

Your Health Improves When You Spend Time With Friends

Essential ways that good friends benefit your health include:

• Encouraging you to follow a healthy lifestyle
• Helping you cope with trauma
• Lowering your blood pressure
• Preventing depression
• Reducing stress

Often, a friend makes everything better because you can laugh together.

Almost everything is easier if you have someone to share it with. A good friend will encourage you when you’re taking steps to improve your health. That can include helping you:

• Exercise more
• Stop smoking
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Follow your diet

These are all practices with which your Newhall caregivers assist you, but friends share the experience with you.

Bad things happen. People close to you die. Divorces or other traumatic events change your life forever.

Your friend is someone to listen to your worries and fears. You can express your feelings without fear of judgment. Friends offer comfort in times of trial and tribulation, without giving you false assurances.

Do you struggle with keeping your blood pressure as low it should be? Part of a caregiver’s job is to help you achieve good readings. Spending time socializing is a proven way to reduce your blood pressure.

Seniors are often unable to keep up social connections. That may be due to physical infirmities, lack of safe transportation, or no place to go. Research has shown that lack of socializing can more than double your blood pressure.

If friends that you’ve had are not available, your caregivers will help you make new connections. They know what’s going on in Newhall and help you find events and activities. It might be stressful at first, but they’ll ease the way for you.

As well as helping to reduce your blood pressure, socializing can help prevent depression. Depression often results from feeling alone or isolated. Being with others gives you a respite from loneliness.

Pegasus Home Health Care Professionals Help You Spend Time With Friends

Humans are hardwired to want to spend time with others. If you can’t get out, your caregivers will do what it takes to bring your friends to you. The key is to enjoy time with individuals you like and who like you.

Social interactions improve your enjoyment of life. Friends give you a sense of belonging. Conversing with them can also keep your mind stimulated and sharper.

There’s no end to conditions or events that make your life stressful. Stress harms you physically, emotionally, and mentally. A strong friendship helps relieve stress because:

• You don’t have to cope alone
• Your friend might have solutions
• You can trust your friend
• You can bounce ideas off your friend

Being able to discuss matters helps make the situation less stressful and helps you to think more clearly.

Reduced stress results in a happier and healthier you. It doesn’t matter if the source of your stress is something insurmountable. Talking to a treasured friend about it reduces its effect on your body and mind.

Good Friends Have Your Back

A good friend, while compassionate and sympathetic, is also honest. They will tell you if you’re indulging in a pity party. They will always be there for you anyway because that’s part of friendship.

Good friends don’t tear you down. Any criticism comes from the heart and is offered lovingly. They make an effort to help you feel self-confident and happy.

A big part of having a caring friend is being a caring friend yourself. You can’t just take from your friends. You have to be there for them.

Friends are so important that June 8 is celebrated each year as National Best Friends Day. June 8, 2018 has already passed, but don’t wait until 2019 to show how much you appreciate your BFF. Call, visit, or go out together any day and let your friends know how much you appreciate them.

Newhall Caregivers Are Here for You

Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. Since 1994, we’ve helped individuals remain safe and independent in their home. Our services are tailored to meet each person’s individual needs.

Our caregivers are here to provide whatever level of assistance you require. Letting us help frees your family and friends to spend quality time with you. That adds up to a longer and happier life.