Can spending more quality time with your girl friends actually help you live a longer life?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes because of a multitude of reasons. Have you ever wondered why you feel so much better after some quality girl time, whether it be hanging out with your sister on the weekend or going away on an all girls trip for a week. Well it turns out that it’s not just a placebo effect or you being delusional (never that!!); there’s actual real science that backs it up and shows how women spending time with other women enhances their lives even to the point of increasing longevity. 

Friends are the ultimate blessing in this life, offering support, encouragement or even just a shoulder to cry on and a safe zone of listening. It’s no wonder that spending time with your girlfriends improves both your mental and physical health, lowering cortisol and increasing happy hormones. Some experts even recommend scheduling social time twice a week (Forbes, 2021)! According to the Tend & Befriend theory studied at UCLA, affiliating with others in stressful situations helps regulate oxytocin levels, and this behaviour is more commonly seen in women … prompting researchers to explore whether this is one of the reasons women tend to live longer than men. 

Social isolation is both mentally and physically toxic to us; whilst other animals have developed survival adaptations like quick reflexes, sharp claws, etc, us humans have come together in group living as the main solution to threats. Social relationships are key in dealing with stressful events, and biologically we are hardwired to seek connections with others through something called the oxytocin-opiod system which “regulates social approach behaviour and recruits the neurocircuitry for reward”. 

“The positive impact of social contacts on health is as powerful or more powerful a

predictor of health and longevity than well-established risk factors for chronic disease and mortality, with effect sizes on par with smoking, blood pressure, lipids, obesity, and physical activity (House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988). And as noted, in both animal and human studies, social isolation is tied to a significantly enhanced risk of mortality (House, Landis & Umberson, 1988) and a heightened risk of both chronic and acute health disorders (Taylor, 2009)” (Tend & Befriend Theory)

That’s all a bit science-y but here’s the interesting bit: both men and women have been shown in studies to turn to others for protection and solace when under stress, BUT women are more likely to seek social support than men are. And as we now know, that is tied to your mortality. So, whilst travelling solo is an epic experience and you will still inevitably meet people along the way, travelling solo in a group of other solo travellers is not only way more fun but it can literally boost your health too!