‘Tis the season for hearts and flowers and thepower of love—which we all know makes us feel wonderful, both mentally, emotionally and physically. However, it’s not just romantic love that makes us feel great; friendships also have a huge impact on our health and happiness, especially as we get older.
In fact, one recent two-partstudyfrom Michigan State University professor William J. Chopik revealed some enlightening results about the importance of friends. The study found that those who valued relationships with both friends and family generally enjoyed better health and were happier. Additionally, for participants aged 65 and over, friendships were a predictor of health and happiness.
心理学助理教授乔比克说:“随着年龄的增长，友谊变得更加重要。”“身边有几个真正的好朋友对我们的健康和幸福有很大的影响。所以明智的做法是投资让你最快乐的友谊。”
This isn’t to say that maintaining good connections with family isn’t important to seniors, Chopik maintained. The study simply showed that enjoying friendships was a better predictor of health and happiness.
Chopik based his conclusions on an analysis of data from over 270,000 people, ages 15-99, from almost 100 countries. They responded to questions regarding how much they valued various relationships and how happy they felt. To see if those self-ratings changed over time, he tracked selected representative groups at specific intervals through the years.
The second part of the study, involving 7,481 Americans with a median age of 68, also concluded that friendships had a significant impact on health, finding that when friends were supportive, respondents were happier. Conversely, when friendships caused strain or stress, respondents reported more chronic illnesses.
For some seniors, it can be challenging to maintain vital friendships as they age, especially if they live alone or have difficulty getting around. Attending community programs for seniors or volunteering are two great ways to make and maintain friendships; considering a move to a retirement community is another way to boost friendships, both new and current.
刚到高级住宅的人往往发现他们不仅有更多的机会遇到与他们有相同兴趣的人，他们也发现看到他们的老朋友变得更容易。不必担心做饭、打扫或维护家庭给了他们更多的时间来享受生活——包括他们多年来结交的好朋友。
Chartwell’s signatureLiveNowprogram is designed to help seniors stay active and engaged across every dimension of wellness, including fulfilling social programs. Learn more at m.familygivers.com.