Our satisfaction and fulfillment in life come from actively creating and nurturing good relationships with everyone, not just our family and friends.When it comes to happiness, our nearest and dearest really matter. Research shows people who have strong relationships with a partner, family or close friends are happier, healthier and live longer. And it works both ways - for us and for them too.Social ties are important throughout our lifespan, from birth through to old age. There is now a strong base of scientific evidence that the positive impact that social connections have not only on our happiness and mental functioning - but also on a range of other health outcomes - and even how long we live.Our close relationships are the most important of our relationships. Our broad social networks contribute to our happiness by making us feel more connected and increasing our sense of belonging and self esteem - but our close relationships give us greater meaning and support. - It is the quality of our relationships that is important, not the quantity. In fact poor quality relationships can be a source of pain and stress and have a negative impact on our well-being. So taking steps to build and improve our closest relationships is vital. But it does take two, and so there may be times when, after trying, the best strategy for our long-term happiness maybe to move on -, despite the fact we naturally resist the breaking bonds with other people. Friendship increases well-being, has positive benefits for health and for how long we live, and of course it decreases loneliness which is a major source of unhappiness. Together were stronger Having a network of social connections or high levels of social support has been shown to increase our immunity to infection, lower our risk of heart disease and reduce mental decline as we get older. Not having close personal ties has been shown to pose significant risks for our health.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 05:18:21 +0000