A Small Conversation With A Friend Every Day Can Boost Mental Health: Study

Communication including catching up, joking around or telling them how your day was can increase your happiness and lower your stress levels

A new study has shown that talking to friends even for short periods of a day can improve mental health. As per experts, discussions around mental health are increasingly being normalized. The study has shown the importance of mental and emotional connection in maintaining mental health.

The study also showed that any conversation once a day including catching up, joking around or telling them how your day was can increase your happiness and lower your stress levels. Studies have shown that social connection can boost one's mood and regulate emotions. With a rise in digital interactions, more and more people are suffering from loneliness.

What did the study find?

A new study co-authored by University of Kansas professor of Communication Studies and friendship expert Jeffrey Hall included 900 participants. These were students from five different university campuses and their social interactions were studied before, during and after the pandemic lockdown. The study aimed to understand the quality of communication in the context of relationships. The subjects were asked to engage in one of the seven communication behaviours on a single day and then were asked to report back at night about their feelings of stress, connection, anxiety, well-being, loneliness and the quality of their day.

The seven communication behaviours observed were-

• Catching up
• Extending care
• Listening
• Valuing others and their opinions
• Praising each other
• Meaningful talk
• Joking around

The study found that individually these behaviours had no significant impact on mental health, however, the intention behind reaching out was most found most effective.

Both quantity and quality matters

The study aimed at understanding the impact of both quantity and quality of these daily conversations. It showed that both the number of times a conversation is made and the quality of it was equally important. Both were associated with a happier being. Participants who chose to have more quality conversations had better days. As per the lead author, if your friends listen to you more and show more care, this can significantly boost your mental health. The study found high quality face-to-face communication was more closely associated with well-being than electronic or social media contact.