The Importance of Talking to People
Humans are inherently a social species. Though this is true, people sometimes close themselves out to their friends, family members, and coworkers. Talking to people brings many benefits to one's mental health, as listed below.
Stress Relief
A study performed by UCLA shows that "affect labeling," or explaining your thoughts and feelings, can lessen the amygdala response to triggering substances or experiences. In short, this relieves stress.
Friendships
By talking regularly to people with whom you are not related, one can easily create long-lasting (or maybe short but positive) friendships. Friendships over time reinforce the other benefits of talking to people.
Professional Connections
Being friendly and establishing connections can even benefit the professional life. People may find themselves in situations in which such connections help with a job promotion, getting hired, getting cheaper prices for certain services, etc.
Exposure
Different perspectives due to contrasting lifestyles and childhoods can help one better understand society. Additionally, by coming in contact with different cultures, one can become more open-minded while learning features of other languages, foods, clothing, and family traits.
Coping
Sadly, trauma is practically inevitable for everyone. Though, with a good support system and people to talk to, coping is made easier as one quite literally has someone to lean on.
Combat Loneliness
A strong majority of the population doesn't want to die alone. By talking to people and creating relationships, one can combat any sense of loneliness as one ages, especially if one does not have a significant other.
Share Information
Every relationship is a give and take, though, and often times the giving still helps one's mental wellbeing. By sharing one's personal experiences, it can help one reflect on their own interactions while supporting someone else.
Give Advice
Likewise, giving advice has been shown to improve decision-making skills of the both the advice-giver and advice-receiver, bring people together, and help empower the advice-receiver to accomplish a goal.
Ultimately, opening up to others about what one may be going through is beneficial for many reasons. Though this path does not go just one way. By returning the advice and mental support friends may offer, one can further relationships and strengthen these bonds.
In conclusion, talk to people.
Written By: Siena