How Your Friends Affect Your Health
By Genevieve Cunningham
We start relying on our friends when we're very young. We rely on them for companionship and laughter and support. As we get older, we may go on adventures with our friends and make big plans for the future. For the most part, we don't put a lot of thought into choosing our friends it just happens. But maybe we should be choosing our friends on purpose. After all, our friends make a huge impact on our lives and as it turns out, they make a huge impact on our health as well. If you want friends who keep you moving in the right direction, take a look at how your friends affect your health so that you can make good decisions for your future well-being.
They Affect Your Choices
We are influenced by our friends. We may not even realize how much we're influenced, but we definitely consider their opinions before making a final decision. If you have friends who aren't very health conscious, it's possible that they will unintentionally sway you toward unhealthy choices. If this is the case for you, just be aware. You don't have to ditch your friends, but pay attention to how their opinions affect your decisions, and then choose wisely.
They Affect Mental Health
Friends absolutely affect mental health. Friends who drag us down may make us feel a lot of anxiety about life. If your friends are doomsday kind of people, you may lose hope. Or if your friends aren't supportive, you may have a world of problems in your mental health world. Make sure that your friends are honest, supportive, and kind. If they lift you up and work to keep you feeling your best, they're worth keeping in your circle.
They Determine Perception
Sometimes we take on others' perception of the world. If all of our friends are extremely negative, we may also begin to view the world in a negative light. Negative people may suggest that your job is the worst, and that you need to quit immediately. A positive person may help you see that one bad day is just that -- a bad day. If your friends are negative, you may need different friends. Or you may need to be the positive light that brings everyone else up instead of being dragged down.
Your friends matter. The wrong group of friends can damage your health. But the right group of friends can completely change your health for the better. Assess your friend group and make adjustments where necessary. Your friends are important, but so is your health! Make decisions that better your life, and feel better long into the future.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Folsom, Calif.