How To Be a Good Friend -  The Health Benefits of Friendship and a Strong Support Network
Autor: Class of 2007 | Publicado: 2010-12-03T04:59:00-08:00







The   emotional health benefits of friendship include a longer, happier  life.  Being a good friend makes your life more fun, interesting, and  easy to  handle! When you have even just one close or best friend, your  attitude  and ability to deal with stress and problems is increased.

Surprisingly,   even spending time with an intimate partner doesn't provide the same   physical and emotional health benefits as friendship. Good friends offer   a different kind of support than lovers, siblings, parents, or  children  do. Good friends provide a different level of understanding  and  communication -- and this positively affects your health, wellness,  and  attitude. Strong feelings of connectedness is another emotional  health  benefit of friendship.

&nbsp;The Emotional Health Benefits of Friendship&nbsp;Psychological   research shows that stressed-out hamsters with skin wounds who were   paired with other hamsters healed faster than those left alone to heal.   The hamsters with friends also produced less of the stress hormone   cortisol, which has negative effects on mood and immunity. You may not   be a hamster, but the effects are transferable to human friends. If   you're depressed, recuperating from an illness, or stressed you'll heal   and deal faster with friends. This is a huge health benefit of   friendship.
Researchers  haven’t figured out exactly how, but friends boost your  immune system.  Good friends help you relax, take a deep breath, and  remember what  really matters – and why. The connection and relationship  you feel when  you’re with your friends boost your feelings of hope,  faith, and belief  that things will be Okay. Friends provide comfort and  companionship,  laughter and honesty. A strong support network can also  keep you  motivated and energized! This is why it's important to know  how to be a  good friend.
A  strong support network isn't just about emotions and feelings. A  major  emotional health benefit of friendship is moral support.  Practically  speaking, when a friend accompanies you to a doctor’s  appointment or  medical procedure, you’re more likely to experience lower  blood  pressure and a slower heart rate. You’ll  heal faster and live  longer. Without social ties or friends to keep  you going, you’re more  likely to experience negative emotions, more  illnesses, and even earlier  death than normal.




Characteristics of a Good FriendAccepts  you as you are:   A good friend is someone who does not try to be somebody that he is   not and accepts you as you are. They are also patient with you when  you  make mistakes and forgive you when you hurt them. 

Honest:  A good friend would be honest and loyal with you. He does not break the  promises that he made to you. He makes you feel safe and secure with  him. He is your true critic. You will find many who falsely appreciate  you, but a good friend will tell you the truth even if it's somenting  you don't want to hear. He will point out your mistakes in private not  in fornt of others and also help you overcome them.
Give you Space:  A good friend respects your privacy. He understands that you have  family, other friends and colleagues who are part of your life too and  do not cling to you always. He builds trust and confidence which makesyou comfortable enough to share your good and bad times with him. 
Always in touch:  Good friends don’t wait for you to call you. He always makes an effort  to keep in touch with you even if it is through a quick phone call or an  email. He knows what's going on in your life and is interested about  it. A good friend also does not avoid even if they are busy and do not  ignore your phone call or mails. A good friend makes it clear that they  care about you.&nbsp; 
Happy for you:  A good friend never gets jealous on your success but would be happy for  you. He celebrates your success and his success with you. When you are  down and needs support he would be there to support and care about you.  An ideal friend has a sensitive side which would make themunderstand  others feelings. They may not be able to read your mind, but chances  are they can usually tell when you're happy, sad, excited, shocked or  upset. A good friend will likely know how to lift your spirits and make  your day. 








A  friend is someone who accepts you as you are.
A  friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
In  prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.
A  fiend is someone who cheers you up when you are feeling down.
True  friends don not drift apart even after many years of separation.
Good  friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.

Now, Guys I'd like to know if you really have a great (or more than one) friend? How does he/she care your friendship?

I hope that you really enjoyed this topic, and I also hope that you have great friends like I have.

I love you all: In alphabetical order
Alexandre
Bruna
Carol
Fernanda
Lucyany
Marla
My family 
Nicolly
Rômulo ( my husband hehehe) 








&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By Juliana de Albuquerque 


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