The importance of being social

Research shows that for most human beings, socializing is one of the most important elements in happiness.

People are either introverts or extroverts by nature. This does not mean that you can’t have some of each. We need to strive to balance our preferences, particularly when it can greatly affect our happiness.

Spending time with people that make us relaxed and happy is so important. Friendships are different than family! Friendships are usually more unconditional than family relationships. The reason for this is simple, your friends don’t have to be with you and your moods, decisions, and your less then perfect coping skills. If you make a bad decision it truly affects your partner and other family members. In some way, they are directly attached to your decisions and your behavior. This makes it difficult to be objective and unconditional, hence the old saying “we always hurt the one we love.”

I encourage everyone to make a real effort to plan something relaxing and fun with someone you enjoy. If you don’t have many people in your life, join a group, take a class, look into your interests and find somewhere that you can meet like-minded people.

By the way, this also takes a lot of stress out of your primary relationships! Having your eggs in different baskets really feels good!