Still think being Queen Bee will bring you happiness? Do you send out friend requests on social media like it’s going out of style? Happiness Expert Yasemin Trollope shows us how less is more when it comes to having close companions.
by Yasemin Trollope
Well fellow females, it appears we have more in common with baboons than we thought. Yep, a recent study has found that, like human women, female baboons flourish when they have fewer mates. The ideal number for humans is between 2 and 4, while the lucky number for our furry friends is 3.
In a time where Facebook and Twitter have turned ‘friend’ recruiting into a competitive sport, I’ve slowly started to realise that, while I’m all for keeping in contact, I don’t need the numbers I once yearned for. Do you?
According to the study your brain can effectively deal with 150 friends, but for women, the biggest payoff comes from having a tight-knit core of only 2-4. Apparently, this smaller number assists in levels of happiness, stability and coping – proving that, like most things in life, abundance isn’t the path to happiness.
That’s right! It just comes down to quality not quantity. The University of Kansas found that women expect more from their friendships than men, but we put more into them too. On a broader level, women need more than footy, boobs and beers to feel satisfied in a friendship, whereas guys are happy with the surface stuff.
When it comes to happiness, one of the biggest contributing factors is a sense of community – that support system or ‘catch me if I fall’ sense of safety that accompanies this. Friendship (as well as family) is the crux of this notion, so if that means having more time to play with fewer true friends (rather than being stressed out trying to attend every party), then wrap me up and tie me in a bow because I’m all for it.
Stay Happy,
Yaz xx
