The Importance of Sisterhood
Truth is we can’t do it alone.
In times like these we realise nothing is more important than connection to each other.
Friends help increase our sense of belonging, improve our self-confidence and help reduce stress and anxiety. To spread some much needed positivity, we're celebrating our amazing sisterhoods in our everyday lives.
Through sisterhood, women can create emotional connections that are good for our mental wellbeing. Emotional connection is how we give and receive the support we need. This includes being seen, heard, and understood.
Emotional connection is healing and sisterhood is one place we can find it. Together, women can change the world. (Plus, sisters always share clothes.)
Did you know a 20 second hug can help alleviate stress and beat burn out? A long hug releases the bonding hormone oxytocin, which can lower your blood pressure, slow your heart rate and improve your mood.
We are currently in a loneliness crisis and this was reported even before the pandemic hit. Studies have found that loneliness puts you at higher risk for premature death – higher than smoking. But this isn’t just about getting out and being social, it’s about being able to show up authentically and feel seen and heard by the community around you.
One in four Australians have reported feeling lonely at least one day a week.
In a 2018 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, over ⅕ of Americans said they often or always felt lonely or socially isolated.
This is why friendships are truly more important than ever, especially our female friendships.
Research has demonstrated that maintaining close connections increases serotonin and oxytocin, the hormone that promotes bonding. Another Standford as well as UCLA study shows that when women are stressed, they don’t just go to fight or flight mode, they release oxytocic. This implies that there is a hormonal reason women go to take care of their friends and loved ones.
Finding the right bonds in friendship is part of the journey of life, some friends stay with us for life and like shedding layers, we shed friends as we grow and mature. As we have noted, female friendships are important to our health. So, here are some tips about what to look for in a friendship from helpguide.org.
What to look for in a friend.
A friend is someone you trust and with whom you share a deep level of understanding and communication. A good friend will:
- Show a genuine interest in what’s going on in your life, what you have to say, and how you think and feel.
- Accept you for who you are.
- Listen to you attentively without judging you, telling you how to think or feel, or trying to change the subject.
- Feel comfortable sharing things about themselves with you.
- As friendship works both ways, a friend is also someone you feel comfortable supporting and accepting, and someone with whom you share a bond of trust and loyalty.
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