I’m fifty-four. Do I even NEED friends at my age?

I hear you. When you’re an adult it’s a lot harder to make friends than, say, when you were in university. Besides, you’re busy. You’ve got a lot going on between family obligations and work responsibilities.

BUT....

A lot of research has been done into this topic, and it turns out that as we age, friendships become increasingly important. Here’s what some of the research has shown:

As we get older, friendships provide psychological and emotional support.
Friends provide a sense of connection and belonging. Often, friends provide opportunities for shared experiences and fun: if I hadn’t met my friend Susan, I’m not sure I would’ve bought a paddleboard, much less learn how to use it.

Friends are an invaluable emotional support during life transitions. Over the years, many of my friends have gone through divorces, and it’s their friends that have got them through it.

But the benefits of friendships at this stage in life also include health and wellness.

It turns out that having friends by our side improves mental health, lowers stress levels and leads to better cognitive functioning. Not only that, but having close friendships results in greater life satisfaction. This next one wasn’t a surprise to me, but it turns out that women with social connections tend to be more positive about menopause.

Research also shows that as we age, voluntary relationships can be more enjoyable than family connections: the friends we choose can provide deeper emotional understanding. There’s less tension compared to relationships with some of our relatives. Best of all, we can choose supportive social networks-no need to hang out with your judgemental cousins!

I hope I’ve given you some good reasons to keep the fires of friendship burning. Because the reality is that close, supportive friendships contribute tremendously to our emotional and physical well-being as we get older.