Why friendship is good for you

Why quality friendships = better health

As humans, we are deeply social creatures. Feeling — and more importantly being — connected is essential to our health. Here at beeya, togetherness is rooted in our ethos. We love any excuse to connect with friends, family, and our community at large (a.k.a. you!).

Be it throwing an intimate dinner party, grabbing a matcha with a girlfriend, or taking a group fitness class, there are endless ways to socialize in a healthy and nourishing way. While it may seem like you’re up-to-date on your friends’ lives, we all know there’s more than meets the digital eye. In the spirit of prioritizing your wellness this season, don’t forget about another facet of your winter well-being: your social health.

Why is it important to spend time with your friends?

For many reasons! Among them, people with healthy relationships tend to live longer and respond better to stress. In fact, a strong social network has been shown to help fight the common cold, increase chances of survival after a heart attack, and aid in balanced hormones. In other words, quality social relationships are correlated to our overall mental and physical health. Our self-confidence gets a boost, too! Positive self-esteem may be one influential friendship away.

Knowing when to end a friendship

This goes without saying, but deep connections require trust. And sometimes, that fundamental trust gets lost or broken. If a friend doesn't respect your feelings, support your growth, or champion your dreams and goals, it may be time to move on. Feeling anxious or negative in your friendship isn’t worth it! In fact, it’s probably a sign to end it. This is easier said than done, but having that difficult conversation could change everything for your mental health.

How to make new friends… and keep the old

As one door closes, another one opens. Saying goodbye to a friendship merely increases your odds of making a new, supportive one (or many!). This is the energy we’re bringing into 2023. So, how to make new friends and keep the old?

1. Take the initiative. Trust your gut when you’re meeting new people. Oftentimes, we’re particularly good at knowing when someone is a potential new friend. Don’t underestimate how positively others think of you! A little bit of humility goes a long way. Get their phone number and set up a coffee or walk date.
2. Show your gratitude. Be it a potential new friend or a long-lost schoolmate, show your affection. Send snail mail, drop off a few local pastries, or simply send a text to see if they want to grab lunch. Small, consistent efforts are the key to maintaining friendships.

The best friendship apps

Whether you’re nomadic, moved neighborhoods, or simply want to expand your network of friends, these are the friendship apps we love:

• Meetup (fantastic for finding a new community)
• Bumble BFF (like Tinder, but for friends)
• Hey! VINA (for women who travel, have recently moved to a place, etc.)
• Wink (make new friends from all over the world)
• Slowly (calling all pen pal enthusiasts)
• LMK (for extroverts)
• Peanut (supportive friends from fertility through motherhood)

What are you using to build boundaries? Love or fear?

Are you building healthy boundaries… or putting up restricting walls? With the former creating a foundation for fulfilling relationships of all kinds, it’s an important question to ask. Deep dive into boundary-setting and how it impacts friendships in this podcast ep from Almost 30.

We love hearing about your experiences with beeya!

Here's to turning skeptics into believers — thank you for your support!