A boy sits at a lunch table at school just eating his food like normal. He glances around and sees all the other full tables, but he feels a pit in his stomach after seeing everyone with their suitable groups, and thinks about the lack of his own friends. After some time of him sulking, he feels a tap on the shoulder. A girl standing with a big smile sits down and they start talking.
Before the boy knows it, he has a new best friend who he spends all of his time with, and he thinks to himself, “things aren’t so bad now.”
Having good friends to spend your time with can always make life more than just enjoyable. Friends can make life easier, with just a bit of courage from them, they can take stress off of your shoulders. Friends are good to keep a healthy mindset and stay confident.
Mental health plays a big role in relationships, whether it’s platonic or romantic. Friends are good at helping keep a good mental state no matter the position others are in. Having someone there keeps spirits high and gives others a feeling of ease. Life is more enjoyable with someone there to lean on, otherwise you could gain a feeling of loneliness and self doubt.
“Friends can keep you sane during the crazy days,” says Alexandra Thompson, a science teacher at MCHS. “They’re also honest with you, so they can push you.”
Getting out of bed can be hard. To be able to get up and get through a whole day of school, work, or even just a day with nothing to do can be hard for a lot of people. Having someone you can spend this time with or someone you can look forward to seeing can help a lot with that motivation. The feeling of getting up and getting through a day for someone can feel almost refreshing, it gives a feeling of purpose.
People shape their lives around other people, they can’t live without the influence of others. Words, actions, inventions – they all have a purpose in everyone’s day-to-day life. Having good friends to spend time with and influence your actions can improve your quality of life by a lot.
Knowing someone you can look up to and respect can shape you into a person you want to be and a person that other people can look up to as well. According to Newport Academy, 184 teens who showed more empathy for their friends, turned into more supportive parents in their future.
Although having good friends to be around is a great thing, it’s not the only way you can live. Being able to be on your own and grow on your own is just as important as the group of people you surround yourself with.
Having the ability to strive on your own is an impressive skill that helps a lot of people with their future, but you still aren’t you without the people around you. Being lonely is a completely normal thing to feel, but it’s not something someone should be stuck in. Having people to give you a fun time while still being able to progress on your own is something everyone should experience.
“Having long term friends that you’ve been around can influence every aspect of your life,” Thompson says. “As you’re going through life, you have these different phases of friends, and it’s okay to fall in and out of friendships.”
Even if you need to depend on your friends sometimes, that’s what they are there for, and it’s okay to depend on people. No one can do everything all on their own.