12/02/2025
One way to create lasting friendships is volunteering as it is an activity that can increase our social circles by connecting us with people with similar interests and values.
The LGH Auxiliary is always in need of volunteers, and if you, or someone you know is interested in joining our team, please don’t hesitate to contact us. For more information, email 𝗮𝘂𝘅𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆.𝗹𝗴𝗵@𝘀𝘀𝘀𝘀.𝗴𝗼𝘂𝘃.𝗾𝗰.𝗰𝗮
The following write-up, extracted from the Costco Connection magazine, December 2025 issue, reveals the benefits of having friendships.
𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗦
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨
𝘽𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞 𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣
We eat right, exercise and seek medical care or counselling when needed. But studies show many of us are missing a key element that can help us live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives: friendship.
Vital social connections give us a biological edge to combat cardiovascular issues, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, cognitive decline and other health complications, according to a 2015 Brigham Young University study.
“If we’re more socially connected, that [is] associated with a 50% greater odds of survival,” according to Brigham Young University psychology and neuroscience researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the study’s co-author.
Adding to the biological benefits, Holt-Lunstad, a Costco member, says having friends boosts our quality of life and lifespan simply by holding us accountable and encouraging us to take better care of ourselves.
In addition, friendships help us respond better to stress and avoid depression or anxiety, according to a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychology. But, as society becomes increasingly disconnected, many are missing this part of a healthy life.
𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧
“Friendship matters because it tends to offer people something that other personal relationships don’t,” says Laura Eramian, an associate professor of sociology and social anthropology at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Eramian, a Costco member, says friendship is a relationship people really tend to idealize. “They think of it as special because it’s chosen rather than given. It’s based on care, equality, mutual liking and support,” she adds.
Friends help us grow and thrive, adds California-based clinical psychologist and Happiness Podcast host Robert Puff. Puff, a Costco member, says friendships are what help us get through life. They provide a support system that enriches our lives.
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮
Research shows people are looking more inward, a potential obstacle to deep friendships. Milena Batanova, director of research and evaluation at Harvard University’s Making Caring Common initiative, sees the impact of disconnectedness. Her group’s May 2024 State of Caring in America study shows roughly 1 in 4 adults is chronically lonely, blaming technology, distractions and mental health struggles. Other culprits for oneliness include a lack of quality relationships or time and busyness to the point of overwhelm.
Research also offers solutions. “The first [suggestion] was reaching out, [then] learning to love themselves, learning how to be more forgiving or positive toward people and the fourth was finding ways to help others,” Batanova says. Focusing on others is key, she adds.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥
A foundation in friendship and shared interests is also key in romantic relationships. “Initially opposites do attract, but in the long run they don’t do well,” Huff says.
More casual bonds matter as well. “The kinds of interactions that we have with strangers often help us feel a sense of community, that we’re part of something bigger,” Holt-Lunstad says. “In our diets, we need a variety of foods for different nutrients for our bodies. Socially the same is true.”
But enduring friendships give us stability in every season of life.
“When we have lasting friendship, they’re the person we’re going to call when our mother is in the hospital. They’re the person we’re going to call when we’re struggling or we lose our job,” Puff says. “We’re going to show up for their wedding. We’re going to be there for the birth of their child, because that’s when lasting and ongoing friendship really solidifies.”
So go ahead and fill your life with friends. You just might be healthier and happier for it.
