Happiful February 2020
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FRIENDSHIP<br />
IRL connections<br />
with friends are<br />
key to happiness<br />
So many of us rely on texting,<br />
WhatsApp, and social media to stay<br />
in touch with friends – and while this<br />
is great, it doesn’t beat meeting up<br />
in real life. Speaking to Well+Good<br />
website, social-personality<br />
psychologist Dr William Chopik<br />
explained how spending time with<br />
friends in person is one of the best<br />
ways to boost overall happiness.<br />
“Friendships are really important<br />
for people’s happiness. In general,<br />
[they offer] improvements on<br />
metrics like depression and anxiety,”<br />
he said.<br />
The benefits of meeting in real<br />
life, rather than digitally, include<br />
being able to see facial expressions<br />
and picking up on their emotions.<br />
“You don’t always get that through a<br />
phone call,” Dr Chopik explains.<br />
A study from Harvard University<br />
looked into the benefits of strong<br />
relationships and agreed that time<br />
with friends can improve happiness<br />
– and even longevity. Results from<br />
the study found that meeting with<br />
friends is as beneficial to long-term<br />
health as not smoking, eating well,<br />
and getting adequate sleep.<br />
So next time you reach for your<br />
phone to message a friend, use it<br />
to set a date for an IRL catch-up<br />
instead. Writing | Kat Nicholls<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2020</strong> • happiful.com • 11
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