When we say that your friendships can support your mental health, we probably are not telling you anything you don’t already know.
Still, it can be worth focusing on the fact that true friendships—including your close relationships with various family members—can be a joy in good times, a source of comfort in bad times, and an opportunity to provide those things for your friends when they need them. It is also worth noting that not every relationship is a friendship—and some relationships masquerading as friendships are actually harmful to your overall well-being (that can include your social media “friends,” too).
To help you remember the ways in which friendship can be good for you and your mental health, we have collected a number of quotes that make that message clear.
Some Friendship Quotes to Reflect Upon
“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.” — Irish Proverb
“Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.” — Ed Cunningham
“Friend is someone to share the last cookie with.” — Cookie Monster, Sesame Street
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” — Bernard Meltzer
“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey
“Never leave a friend behind. Friends are all we have to get us through this life—and they are the only things from this world that we could hope to see in the next.” — Dean Koontz
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” — Woodrow Wilson
“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” — Muhammad Ali
(We should note that these 10 quotes about friendship are drawn from a much longer list you can find here.)
A Quick Detour: You Can Think of These Quotes as External Affirmations
Not too long ago, we wrote about the power of affirmations—quick, positive statements that can replace the negative self-talk so many of us allow to run through our heads. In that entry, we offered up 10 examples of affirmations, not unlike the 10 friendship quotes we provided above.
We would like to suggest that short quotes can work just like affirmations in your life. If an affirmation is a positive statement you say to yourself, a quote can be a positive statement that comes from someone you admire.
You might try mixing and matching affirmations and positive quotations—in your journal, in little notes you leave for yourself, or simply in your head. More positivity leads to better mental health, so both sources of encouragement can be helpful. We could all use a little more encouragement in our lives, right?
Back to the Mutually Beneficial Power of Friendship
Returning to our initial theme, we want to reiterate that friendships are reciprocal relationships. That means that sometimes you benefit from the kindness and support provided by your friend, and sometimes your friend benefits from the kindness and support you provide to them. In the best of times, you are supporting each other simultaneously—and your powerful bond makes life better for both of you.
Whether you are the kind of person who cultivates a whole bunch of friendships or the kind of person who focuses on just one or two deep relationships, the many benefits of friendship are available to you.
Listen, Friend, Mental Health Disorders Require Treatment
Oftentimes, a person struggling with the symptoms of depression, anxiety, or a disorder grounded in trauma is reluctant to pursue treatment. Maybe they are embarrassed. Maybe they think they don’t have the time. Maybe they think things will turn around on their own. Whatever the reason, a person who puts off getting mental health treatment needlessly extends their own suffering.
It would be so much better to get to work improving your mental health and maintaining that improvement over time. At Peak View Behavioral Health, we can help you do just that. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Peak View Behavioral Health provides personalized care built around your specific needs. When you are ready to get started, we are ready to help.
