‘Ultimate Biohack’ can help you live longer and fight stress

Your social circle can be the key to a long and happy life.

This is according to Simon Sinek, a more selling author and leadership expert, who says friendship is “Biohack Ultimate” for not only survive but bloom while doing it.

“If you think about all the challenges of mental health that we are facing so many of us – whether we are facing stress, depression, anxiety, addiction, and even obsession with longevity – friendship is the last biohack that literally adjusts to All those things, “Sinek said at the Brilliant Minds Convention of 2024.

While American culture often puts romantic relationships on a pedestal, scientists are increasingly turning their attention into something equally critical – platonic connections.

The research is clear: people with close believers are more satisfied with their lives and less likely to suffer from depression. Tight friends are also shown to lower the level of anxiety and increase our feelings of self value.

Strong social connections can even make you live longer. A 2023 study found that older adults with good friends were 24% less likely to die over an eight -year tracking period compared to those without a strong circle.

“People are difficult to connect and social ties are an essential part of good health and well-being-we need them to survive and thrive, just as we need food, water and oxygen,” he said Dr. Scott Kaiser, a geriatric, for medicine news today.

One reason that friendships work wonders for your health is their ability to change the way you respond to stress. Research suggests that when talking to a supportive friend, our blood pressure reactivity is lower than when interacting with someone we have mixed feelings.

Positive socialization has also been shown to cause oxytocin-hormone “feeling good” that helps lower cortisol levels. The stress hormone, though useful in small doses, can destroy our health when it is constantly high, contributing to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, digestive issues and weight gain.

Perhaps more critically, having strong friendships fights loneliness, a problem as widespread as former US surgeon Vivek Murthy declared a public health crisis in 2023.

Research shows that loneliness not only increases the risk of premature death, but also contributes to a number of serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, addiction, dementia and high blood pressure.

An eternal practice

Building significant friendships can feel easier to do when you are young, but do not despair – science suggests that the connections you form in your childhood can pay dividends for the years ahead.

A long -term study following more than 250 six -year -old boys found that those who spent more time with friends as children had lower blood pressure and better BMI at the age of 32.

“These findings suggest that our early social life can have a slight protective impact on our physical health at adulthood,” Jenny Cundiff, a psychological scientist at the University of Texas Tech and the main author of the work, told the association for Psychological science.

In another study of 169 15-year-olds, researchers found that adolescents with higher quality friendships suffered lower anxiety, higher self-esteem and less depressive symptoms at 25 school

How much to keep those friendships? Sinek says it has to do with the effort.

“Have you sacrificed that meeting to sit with a friend? Do you call your friends on birthday and sing them happy birthday? Have you ever said to your friend, ‘I love you?’ No, ‘Love Ya!’ No, ‘I love you,’ he asked.

If you are struggling to form new friendships as an adult, psychologist and author Mary E. Anderson suggests to start small. Hello your colleagues with a smile, compliment the dog of a stranger or offer help whenever you can.

“These cases of warmth can promote a stronger feeling of belonging,” she wrote in CNBC Make It. “Play in your strengths. Set up your talents, unique skills and expertise to work to help others. Just make sure you are aware of your limited time and energy, so they don’t burn in the process. “