Well, if you needed one more reason to grab your girlfriends and go on a fun trip together, you got one: even science says that you need it!
A recent study indicates that traveling with your best friends is actually great for your mental health, and we all know that sometimes all you need in your life it a weekend with your friends. So, don’t wait up. Book your place, buy the plane tickets, and go for it – in the name of science, of course.
Southern Living pointed out to a study released in 2016 which explains that spending time with your friends can boost the production of oxytocin, or often called the “love” hormone. The hormone is released when one is in positive social situations, and it makes people feel trusting, empathetic, and all-around very happy. Expectedly, it also serves as a great antidote for anxiety and depression, and it plays an important role in having great intimate pleasure.
And, according to science, of course, spending a fun weekend with your friends is not only good for your mental health, but it can also help you live longer.
According to meta-analyses on data of more than 308,000 people analyzed in 148 different studies, there’s a big connection between lifespan and social relationships.
Researchers noted that actual and perceived social isolation are both associated with increased risk of early mortality.
And, to add to that, a 2015 study found that a lack of social connections has the same health risk as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
It’s also worth mentioning that swapping in-person social interactions for online interactions is definitely not healthy, as it was explained by Glenn Sparks, a communications professor at Purdue University.
So, we think that we provided enough scientific reasons for you to be convinced that you need to take that girls trip you’ve planned for years as soon as possible!
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