Friends – Enhancing Your Life and Improving Your Health

By Mike Cooper

As we continue to ‘Celebrate LIFE’ during National Senior Center Month, our focus this week is on ‘F’ – Friends.

You know the song, ‘I get by with a little help from my friends.’ Well, you can do more than ‘get by’ when you have the social support of friends. Not only can they enhance your life, they can improve your health too!

Friends are there for you in the good times and bad, offering congratulations or a shoulder to cry on. Even if you are not near them in proximity, a cheery phone call (or text, e-mail, or post) can help you brush off the blues.

• Remember that stressful day at work? A call with a friend can help boost your happiness and relieve that stress.
• Are you unmotivated to exercise or eat healthier? It’s always easier when you have someone doing it with you!
• Did you look in the mirror and think, ‘blah?’ Nothing is better than a friend to give you a pep talk to improve your self-confidence.

Think ‘quality’ over ‘quantity.’

Although it is nice to have a wide network of friends, it is more important to have a few close friends who will be there for you through thick and thin.

At Naperville Senior Center, we know how important it is for older adults to continue to be social (see our blog, ‘Social Seniors Have Better Quality of Life’). We encourage our Members to interact with each other and develop friendships. We treat our Members with kindness, dignity and respect, and really enjoy our time with them!

Contact us to get schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home”.