You share your best
secrets, opinions and ideas with her--and she does too. Let's face it, your girlfriends
are such an important part of your life. They keep you in check, in
balance and in the know.
Time away from work,
family and commitments can be far and few between, so when a girlfriend invites you out to
dinner or to meet for a quick lunch, you'll find yourself rescheudling your boss to make the
date.
What is it about us
girls when it comes to friendship?
In grade school, we had
our best friend, a person who wore the other end of our friendship bracelet. In high
school we had our best friend who was there when "he" broke our heart. In
college we had our roommate, later-turned best friend, who helped us pull an all-nighter
to finish that term paper; and now, as an adult she is still there for us.
IF we're lucky, her
name is the same. If we're lucky still, her name has changed, but her job hasn't.
She's the one who you call when you get the promotion, your child is born, you need to vent
or need a spa day.
A good friend of mine
recently shared this information with me so I could share it with
you...proof that your girlfriends are very
important!
A
landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are
and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps
in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are. By the way, they may do even
more.
Scientists
now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually counteract the kind of
stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis.
The
study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause
us to make and maintain friendships with other women.
Now
the researchers suspect that women have a larger behavioral repertoire than just fight or
flight;
In
fact, says Dr. Klein, "It seems that when the hormone oxytocin is
release as part of the stress responses in a woman, it buffers the fight or flight
response and encourages her to tend children and gather with other women
instead."
Every
time we get overly busy with work and family, the first thing we do is let go of
friendships with other women, explains Dr. Josselson. We push them right to the back
burner. That's really a mistake because women are such a source of strength to each
other.
We
nurture one another. And we need to have unpressured space in which we can do the special
kind of talk that women do when they're with other women. It's a very healing
experience.
So,
next time your girlfriend invites you to dinner, morning coffee or calls for advice, clear
your calendar...It will be good for your health!
Enjoy the
Week!
Beth Aldrich
Pass us on to a
friend.
We welcome your story or ideas
for a future FHI Connection!
