Female Friendship: Know Why They Are Important
You may have encountered (at least once, twice, or, let’s be honest, so many times) people who hold the opinion about female friendship. They believe that women cannot be real friends or those female friends do not share a bond strong enough to last long.
Well, a very popular book named ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’ by American author & relationship counselor John Gray was like a breath of fresh air for people who wanted their notions based on gender stereotypes validated.
However, a stereotype is a stereotype, after all. Female friendship is capable of way more than what stereotypes may say. But it is also true, at the same time, that female friendships have often been given lesser priority than romantic relationships.
More often than not, women make their love interest more evidently important & invest all their time & energy into romantic relationships. Very agreeably, women tend to lose their female friends as they enter a romantic relationship with a man.
Instead of falling into the same rabbit hole, do you want your story to be different & better? Well, you’re in luck! Every word here is about to push you in the direction of being able to cherish & maintain your female friendships better, regardless of your romantic relationships, your busy schedules, etc.
Importance of Female Friendships
Female friendships are a powerful source of energy in many women’s lives. Strong psychology backs this idea.
In fact, a study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology stated that women with early-stage breast cancer had a higher survival rate if they had many friends, regardless of whether the friends were near or far. Such is the effect of a strong circle of friends.
That’s not all, of course!
- Intimacy & emotional connection are the bases of female friendships. Female friends are able to understand you in ways that male friends do not tend to. Male friends, or men in general, do not tend to be as nurturing as women can be. Female friends are more likely to possess mothering qualities & can be more empathetic towards you. There is a sense of understanding that women tend to bring more easily to the picture than men do. You may feel calmer, more understood, & more accepted around your female friends.
- You can turn to them for honest opinions & advice. When you are in need of a fresh perspective or you need a better understanding of yourself from a different point of view than your own, female friends are very likely to bring in the kind of perspective that you seek. They are also great for your self-esteem, more often than not.
- In cases where you face difficulty being honest to yourself or accepting parts of yourself wholeheartedly, female friends tend to play the role of a catalyst & help you make the process easy for you.
- As you maintain a friendship with a woman, you realize the pace at which a good friendship can age well. Good female friends value you more & more with time & tend to stick around for the better.
- It is not a secret that women are quite intuitive by nature. It helps a person feel more heard, seen, & understood without always having to put everything in words. Basically, spending time together becomes easier & more fulfilling.
- Serotonin helps fight depression &, as a result, helps lead a happier & healthier life. According to Dr. Gloria Gilbere, women turn to each other & spend quality time, which produces more serotonin. Dealing with stress becomes easier in the company of good female friends. According to a UCLA research, women turn to their friend circle more often, in times of stress, than men do. This has also proven to benefit their health & help women lead a longer life. Now that is some friendship!
Myths v/s Reality around Female Friendships
Oh-so-many myths surround the notion of female friendships and how! Let’s get right into it & not be fooled by the rather popular opinions.
Myth: Women talk to their female friends several times a day!
It is believed that women tend to have long conversations with their female friends several times a day due to being talkative by nature as well as the urge to spill every gut all the time which men may not be able to attend to.
Reality: Women talking to their friends, regardless of gender, isn’t necessarily a several-times-a-day routine. It’s variable. The generalization that women obsessively need to talk is not correct.
Myth: Women are jealous of their female friends.
The idea that women cannot form healthy connections with other women is made popular through the entertainment world – movies & TV shows that are highly unrealistic &, more often than not, set the wrong examples of what female friendships look like.
Reality: Women can be very supportive of their female friends & happen to often confide in each other with a lot of trust in one another.
Myth: Women fight with their female friends over men & men only, always!
This is a highly misogynistic idea that women’s lives revolve around men. Fights or not, men are supposed to be the central aspect of any interaction amongst women.
Reality: Women have a lot more than just men to talk about & focus on, such as personal lives, careers, likes, dislikes, experiences, politics, finance, etc.
Maintaining Female Friendships
Maintaining friendships with females is as easy & difficult as is to be simple. We all know the struggle, but some of us know the trick. Well, it isn’t that big a deal, to be honest. It’s all about good communication.
Apt communication & guided comprehension can work wonders together. Now, this doesn’t have anything to do with the idea that women talk a lot (I mean, sure they do, more often than not, but we’re getting to a different point here!).
A study shows that the effect of friendship remains the same over the span of one’s lifetime. Effectively communicating your feelings & thoughts with your friends can, however, benefit your health as well as positively affect your mental well-being.
Women who turn to their female friends more often are seen to be happier, healthier, & fulfilled.
On Closing Thoughts…
Life brings along various tough times, moments of stress & pain, & unhealthy associations. Female friendships bring just the opposite to the table.
Female friendship helps you relieve stress, communicate better, & live longer – the best a friend can get! A strong group of female friends enables a healthier & easier life.
