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A new study has found that women should go out with their friends twice a week to improve their health.

A study conducted by the University of Oxford has found that women who give themselves the freedom to go out with their friends twice a week are happier and healthier than those that don’t. Despite this, the study also pointed out that women are more likely to feel guilty for taking time out to spend with their friends and only 2 in 5 women are actually able to make time for socialising each week.

A Significant Improvement

The study said that women who met up with four friends twice a week had the most significant change in their health and wellbeing. Robin Dunbar, the psychologist who lead the study, said that activities such as drinking, gossiping and complaining (who doesn’t love a good moan?) reduced anxiety levels, maintained a stronger immune system and increased generosity, which all made women feel better within themselves. The study acknowledged that despite the obvious health benefits of  to socialising with your friends, for women with families and other responsibilities, it can be difficult to make the time for quality interactions. We’re pretty sure we didn’t need a study to tell us that!

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Making Connections

The importance of friendship for women in particular was a central focus for the study. It found that spending time with friends increases serotonin and oxytocin, the bonding hormone, creating lasting connections that become increasingly important as we age. As our lives become busier, and we attempt to juggle more and more responsibilities, this study serves as a timely reminder of the need to invest in our friendships and make them a priority whenever we can.

Do you make time to meet with your friends weekly? Let us know in the comments!

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  • I dont have a lot of true friends. SOme people have wide circles of friends …I dont. I feel that my time is important and I am only willing to give of it to those that are really awesome people that I know are true friends.

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  • I can’t “go out” that much but I do see people who I consider my friends around that. I think it’s so important to stay connected and not just letting your friends drop off or make kids so important that you never have time for anything else

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  • That seems quite often! We try to catch up but it ends up only once a month once we try to find a time that suits us all.

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  • As you go through life the friends drop off as the kids take priority so It is easier said than done

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  • I would love to get out with friends, however I don’t have any friends to go out with

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  • I would love to go out with my friends twice a week, but who has the time for it. It’s hard enough for us to find 1 night we’re all available for a catch up, let along twice a week

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  • I wish I had friends to go out with.

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  • I wish i could do this

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  • Takes us months if planning to get a date where everyone is available. I wish I had a best friend who I could call and catch up with more often.

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  • I only go out once a week for a coffee and that’s with my adult son. I do go to our local hospital once a week though and spend the morning with the local residents doing little jobs for them and taking them up a treat

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  • That literally sounds like too much effort! I see mum friends at school pick up and drop off and maybe a play date here and there. Or do the occasional shopping trip if we are both going to the same shops! But aside from that I’m pretty happy not to have to go out and hang out with friends

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  • Twice would be tricky. It does happen some times if we throw a Girls Night Movie Screening but generally once a week – every Friday – I catch up with two of my girl friends for morning coffee (post-school drop off) that often runs into lunch.

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  • Would be nice if I had friends that wanted to go out that much. I can’t even get once a week!

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  • We moved in July from Sydney to Brisbane and life has been so busy that there is hardly time to make new friends and to sustain and maintain friendships. Yes there are some nice ladies I chat with at school drop off or drop off at playdates, but no time to meet friends for myself.

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  • So hard to organise – luck to have a group of friends get together 4 times a year.

    Reply

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