Having good friends and health are closely related. According to many psychological types of research, valuable friendships lead to greater life satisfaction, mental health, and longer lifespan. For example, one of the studies conducted after the Covid-19 pandemic indicated that daily conversations with friends significantly affect mental health. In this article, we examine the findings of this research and the impact of everyday conversation with friends on mental health.
Why is mental health more important these days?
During the Corona epidemic, depression worldwide increased by 25%. During this period, the amount of human communication decreased. Mental health is an issue that everyone cares about these days, and some have realized the importance of this issue recently with the spread of Corona. This global collective trauma showed us the importance of mental health and its role in everyday life. Therefore, finding ways to return to the routine and even taking small steps in this way has become significant.
Research on the effect of daily conversation with friends on mental health
In January 2023, the University of Arizona in the United States published research results titled “Valuable Conversation Can Increase Daily Health” in the Journal of Communication Research. This research was conducted three years after the spread of Covid-19 worldwide. While daily life is closer to normal for many people than before, we are still witnessing the dramatic effects of those long years of social distancing, remote work, and isolation on people’s mental and emotional health.
Psychologists believe that communication is essential, even for short moments in human life. Although the Covid-19 pandemic is over, many of us still work remotely and have limited social contact. People and lives have changed, and devoting a part of daily life to connecting with others is very important for mental health. Social communication and coexistence help to reduce depression and anxiety.
Such issues led several scientists and mental health experts from the University of Arizona in the United States to gather and start a study, the results of which were published in January 2023.
January 2023 research results
The study we are talking about had 900 participants from 5 university campuses. The condition of these people was checked before, after, and during nationwide quarantines. The participants were told to communicate with their friends in one of the seven research methods throughout the day. They should also report stress, belongingness, anxiety, health, well-being, loneliness, and the quality of their day. The seven communication methods were:
- spend time with friends;
- have a valuable conversation with a friend;
- do not take anything seriously and laugh and joke with a friend;
- show their friend how important it is to them;
- listen carefully to their friend’s words;
- Show your friend that you value him and his opinions;
- Compliment and praise their friend sincerely.
At the end of this research, it was found that all seven types of methods made the participants feel much better during the day. They had more sense of connection and happiness and less stress and anxiety than others. This research showed that it doesn’t matter which behaviors are done, and talking with friends positively and constructively improves people’s moods.
Dr. Hall, one of the researchers of this project, believes:
To feel better at the end of the day, you can do a social activity. It doesn’t matter where your starting point is. Whether it’s with 1 friend, 100 friends, or any other number, talking to one of these 7 ways just once a day can increase your health at the end of that day.
Is the quantity of relationships more critical for mental health or its quality?
According to psychologists’ research, the number and quality of your interactions and relationships make you feel less lonely, happier, and more social. Although the mentioned research has investigated the effect of 1 friendly conversation per day on mental health, more friendly conversation is even better.
According to the January 2023 study, participants with more quality conversations had better days. The more you listen to your friends, the more time you spend with them, and the more you value their opinions, the better you’ll feel at the end of the day.
Also, according to this research, valuable face-to-face communication has a more significant effect on mental health than electronic contact or communication in social networks.
Why does effective communication with friends make us feel better?
We get more help from talking to friends to create a sense of belonging. The quality of conversation plays a significant role in increasing the importance of belonging and reducing stress. This is because we use communication to satisfy our need for belonging. This also helps to manage stress.
The commonality of the conversations conducted in the January 2023 research is a certain amount of activism. For example, when you carefully listen to someone’s words, you show the person how much you care or compliment someone; you have an active conversation with them. This kind of conversation can be the beginning of a fruitful exchange. Walking this way means a more intimate conversation and, ultimately, a more profound friendship.
We often don’t think as much about our social health as we do about our nutritional or physical health. We usually expect our social health to take care of itself. However, to have a valuable conversation and an enthusiastic friend or romantic partner, we must start the conversation with the previous intention and aim to improve mental and social health. Doing this encourages and motivates our friends to have pleasant discussions with us.
How to have more joyful conversations?
As we said, a valuable conversation with a friend during the day will bring you one step closer to improving your mental health. However, starting such discussions may be difficult for you at first. You can do this easily with a few tricks.
1. Plan to have a valuable conversation
Conversation in one of the 7 January 2023 research methods requires planning. You must have a plan for this and follow that plan. This issue becomes more critical when it has become more difficult for you to communicate with others since the pre-pandemic era.
2. Find time to communicate
According to mental health experts, you don’t need to look for long conversations or deep conversations to communicate. Look for moments when you have time to reach out to others. Find time for this, even if it’s not much time. Call your friends on the way to work. Look for moments, however short, to communicate and strengthen friendship.
3. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation
One of the positive points in social interactions is that the more you make valuable connections with others, the easier it will be for the next time. Awareness of this fact will help you avoid all too common assumptions and assumptions about social interactions. For example, sometimes you think that going out of the house, meeting others, or participating in a social event is equal to trouble or that you are too tired to participate in such interactions. However, after you leave the house, you realize how much fun and enjoyable that social interaction is.
The same goes for starting a valuable conversation. At first, you may think starting a conversation is complex or requires a lot of energy. However, studies like the one conducted in January 2023 show that, in the end, your mental health and well-being will prove worth trying this method.
4. Try to return to the routine before the corona epidemic
These days, many people work face-to-face or are present in classrooms and universities, but this social presence is much less compared to the time before the pandemic. Many of us are still not back to normal. Still, socializing with friends has not become a regular part of our lives. It would be best if you tried to get back to normal. Doing this also requires conscious choices. It would be best if you tried to communicate consciously.
5. Pay more attention to the quality of communication than its quantity
January 2023 research indicated the importance of short and meaningful or valuable communications. This does not mean introverts should talk to many people to communicate and improve their mental health. Experts emphasize finding critical connections. The quality of communication is more important than its quantity.
6. Check your communication needs
Some people may be afraid to communicate, or even a little interaction with others may be challenging. According to mental health experts, sometimes people avoid communication with others. This issue may also be caused by social anxiety or depression. Therefore, before you withdraw from the relationship with others, make sure of the reason. Make sure you don’t need to communicate with others daily.
Explore your communication needs with the help of an experienced psychologist. Make sure you don’t need daily socializing and that it’s not a problem you’re just dealing with.
you say
The corona epidemic caused many of our communications to be lost or changed. Face-to-face conversations and long-term socializing have given way to social networks and online socializing. A study conducted in January 2023 showed that we could repair or strengthen our relationships in 7 different ways.
Did you face such a problem during the pandemic? Are your friendships still strong? Are you chatting with your friends, or are you still in a pandemic mood?
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
