Talk about being “healthy,” and the connotation for most is likely physical health achieved primarily through nutrition and exercise. But being healthy is more broad than that. It’s something I think a lot about and work with clients on, promoting or improving health and wellness — the physical, mental, and emotional. Beyond what we eat and how much we move, equally important is sleep, rest, and recovery; stress management; and our social connections and relationships, to name a few.

How loneliness affects your health

Gaining attention during and post-Covid, there’s a proven link between loneliness and poor health, affecting as many as one in two adults in America. In the 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes about two profound threats to our health and well-being: loneliness and isolation.

More than just a bad feeling, the report claims “loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” What’s more, according to the report, “the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.”

The physical and mental health benefits of friendship

Bleak? Yes, but luckily, there’s research that suggests the inverse is true, that social connection, and friendship, in particular, is equally as important as eating right and exercise. Dedicating time to prioritizing our friendships as adults may require a little more intent, but it’s well worth it as these relationships can promote longer life, better health, and improved well-being.

Once seemingly effortless, through grade, middle, high school, and college — peer environments that provide a big pool of potential friends, keeping and making friends as an adult can feel challenging. I’ll admit, personally, between family — being a partner, a mom, a daughter and granddaughter, a niece and a sibling — and work obligations, it’s easy to let friends take a backseat. But every time I spend time with my girl friends, one-on-one or in a group, I’m reminded of how meaningful my friendships are.

How to make new friends as an adult

True friends positively impact the quality of our lives. As people to confide in, spend time with, and lean on, friends make life more enjoyable and everyday experiences more enriching. Whether you want to make new friends or deepen existing relationships, Marisa Franco, PhD, psychologist and author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends, suggests everyone really try and put themselves out there.

There are apps that exist if it feels easier online, or you could volunteer or lean into your hobbies (book clubs, sporting teams/events, or other activities) to explore your interests while meeting others who share them.

The bottom line on friendship

In life, every day, I realize more and more what is outside our control. We can’t choose our families, the cards we’re dealt, or the actions of others around us, but we can control the company we keep and the friendships we pursue and nurture. Life is better with friends; the positive health outcomes that come with strong social ties are just a bonus.