The power of real friendship is always strong. We, parents, know very well what it means to have friends around, especially it becomes increasingly more difficult to maintain a social life, and go places we used to enjoy before we had kids.
One of the most common ‘complaints’ moms have is the sense of ‘isolation’ or the feeling that, suddenly, all ones friends are too busy, or too far way to have daily conversations, or to go out for a coffee or a glass of wine.
Now there is a ‘scientific’ excuse to do more to ensure mommies have enough social time with their friends, because this type of interaction helps them not only to feel better, but also to be healthier and to prevent some types of diseases, like high blood pressure, inflammation and obesity.
The study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the first to find a link between social relationships and concrete measures of physical well-being. The study compares the social relationships benefits to the ones that we have we go to the gym or we watch our diet.
“It should be as important to encourage adolescents and young adults to build broad social relationships and social skills for interacting with others as it is to eat healthy and be physically active,” said Kathleen Mullan Harris, Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and one of the professionals ins charge of the investigation.
The study also shows that aging adults (moms included!) live longer if they have more social connections.
So, for all the mommies out there, find time to socialize, to have your own play dates, since even science promotes social interactions to be good for your health. And one thing is for sure: seeing your friends sounds much more ‘attractive’ than seeing your trainer at the gym!
