Want To Improve Your Health? Take A Girls Trip, Study Says

Want To Improve Your Health? Take A Girls Trip, Study Says

There’s nothing better than spending some quality time with your girls. It feels so good to step away from guy drama, work stress, and general life BS and just laugh and have fun with the people who know and appreciate you best. Turns out, BFF time is actually good for your health, so get planning your next girls trip!

  1. Your social circle keeps you sane. According to research, spending time with your friends is associated with increased production of oxytocin, the feel-good hormone that not only increases your bonds with those closest to you but also has the ability to reduce pain (think: moms forgetting the trauma of childbirth when they finally get to meet and bond with their babies). The more QT you have with your girls, the more oxytocin you’ll produce, and that can only be a good thing.
  2. Not having close friends is bad for your health. That’s right! In a separate study, Harvard researchers discovered that a lack of close interpersonal relationships was as bad for your health as smoking 3/4 of a pack of cigarettes daily. Damn!
  3. No one knows you like your girls. Even if you’re in a romantic relationship with an amazing partner who really seems to “get” you, they’ll never understand you on the deep level that your female friends do. After all, there’s a unique history there which means you can be 100% yourself with them and never have to worry about being judged or rejected. It feels amazing.
  4. It can be hard to make time to hang but it’s worth it. We all lead hectic lives, so the idea of trying to find time to get everyone together for a weekend away may seem all but impossible, and maybe it is. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of BFF time. If a mini vacay isn’t on the cards right now, maybe plan a special night one week to hit the clubs, go out for dinner, or even host a little potluck at your apartment. It’s not about what you do together that matters, it’s about the fact that you’re doing it with each other.
  5. Consider it self-care. Maybe you take time to do yoga a few nights a week or you relish putting on fresh bedding, giving yourself a pedicure, and binging on some Netflix on Sunday nights. Whatever your self-care ritual, know that social time with your closest friends should be included. Believe me, you’ll be happy you did.

[H/T Southern Living]

Piper Ryan is a NYC-based writer and matchmaker who works to bring millennials who are sick of dating apps and the bar scene together in an organic and efficient way. To date, she's paired up more than 120 couples, many of whom have gone on to get married. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Cut, and many more.

In addition to runnnig her own business, Piper is passionate about charity work, advocating for vulnerable women and children in her local area and across the country. She is currently working on her first book, a non-fiction collection of stories focusing on female empowerment.
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