LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS
Friends
With
Healthy
Benefits
‘Tis the season for hearts and
flowers and the power of love
— which we all know makes
us feel wonderful 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.
A recent two-part study from
Michigan State University professor
William J. Chopik revealed some
enlightening results about the impor-
tance 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 key predictor of
health and happiness.
“Friendships become even more
important as we age,” said Chopik,
assistant professor of psychology.
“Keeping a few really good friends
around can make a world of
8
difference for our health and well-be-
ing. So it’s smart to invest in the
friendships that make you happiest.”
This isn’t to say
that maintain-
ing
good
connections
with family isn’t
important to
seniors, Chopik
maintained. The
study simply
showed that
enjoying friend-
ships was a
better predictor
of health and
happiness.
FRIENDSHIPS
become more
IMPORTANT
as we age.
Chopik based his conclusions on an
analysis of data from over 270,000
people, ages 15-99, from almost 100
countries. They responded to ques-
tions 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.
For some seniors, it can be challeng-
ing to maintain vital friendships as
they age, especially if they live alone
CHARTWELL.COM
or have difficulty getting around.
Attending community programs for
seniors or volunteering are two great
ways to make and maintain friend-
ships. Considering a move to a
retirement community is another way
to boost friendships, both new and
current.
Newcomers to seniors’ residences
often find that they not only have
many more opportunities to meet
people with the same interests, they
also find seeing their old friends
becomes easier. Not having to worry
about cooking, cleaning or maintaining
a home gives them more time to enjoy
life — including the wonderful friend-
ships they’ve built up over the years.