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I used to dismiss my mom’s advice. Then I found a note she wrote before she died.  

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Claire Messud turns her family’s history into a masterpiece

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You are reading our weekly Well+Being newsletter. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/well-being/?method=SURL&location=ART&itid=lk_inline_manual_2" target=_blank>Sign up here</a> to get it delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

One of the simplest things you can do for better health this month is to call a friend.

We often take our closest friendships for granted, but nurturing our relationships pays a health dividend, reports Teddy Amenabar. He writes:

“A growing body of research shows friends are essential to a healthy life — and they are just as important for our well-being as healthy eating habits or a good night’s sleep.

Platonic love trumps romantic love in a number of ways. People with strong friendships tend to have better <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(17)30224-3" target=_blank>mental health</a> and, studies suggest, better physical health. Researchers have found large social networks <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316" target=_blank>lower</a> our risk of premature death more than exercise or dieting alone.

A six-year <a href="https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/Citation/1993/01000/Lack_of_social_support_and_incidence_of_coronary.7.aspx?source=post_elevate_sequence_page---------------------------" target=_blank>study</a> of 736 middle-aged Swedish men found having a life partner didn’t affect the risk of heart attack or fatal coronary heart disease — but having friends did. A 10-year <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/59/7/574.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=friends&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT" target=_blank>Australian study</a> found that older people with a lot of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with few friends. Notably, having a social network of children and relatives did not affect survival rates.

To learn more about how to nourish your friendships, read the full story.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/09/how-to-adult-friends-relationships/" target=_blank>Want to be healthier? Hang out with your friends</a>.

January is a time of resets and resolutions. We’ve had a busy week on the Well+Being desk, with more great suggestions for getting the most out of this month when you’re extra motivated. Here is some of our advice:

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/interactive/2023/strength-training-gym-workout/" target="_blank">Joined a gym? These 6 exercises, once a week, will make you stronger.</a>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/09/heart-health-check-tests-prevention/" target=_blank>Ask a Doctor: How do I know if my heart is healthy?</a>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/12/shower-thoughts-creativity-brain/" target=_blank>Why do we get our best ideas in the shower?</a>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/12/seasonal-affective-disorder-depression-symptoms/" target=_blank>Seasonal affective disorder can last for months. Here are the signs.</a>

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/12/how-alcohol-affects-depression-anxiety/" target=_blank>How cutting back on alcohol can help depression and anxiety</a>

Please let us know how we are doing. Email me at <a href="mailto:wellbeing@washpost.com" target=_blank>wellbeing@washpost.com</a>.

Emmy Award, GLAAD Media Award, Columbia Nursing School 2nd Century Award, Front Page Award, part of the New York Times newsroom team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for public service for coverage of the pandemic.

For Better: How the Surprising Science of Happy Couples Can Help Your Marriage Succeed

University of Texas at Austin, BA in Sociology

Yale School of Public Health, MPH candidate/current student

Tara Parker-Pope is the Well+Being editor for The Washington Post. Before joining The Post, she was the founding editor of "Well" at the New York Times, and she was a health columnist for the Wall Street Journal. She won an Emmy Award for the video series “Life, Interrupted.” Her most recent book is “For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage.”