LESS IS MORE

Five reasons why having fewer friends is good for you

- MADISON BOGISCH

From Friends and Seinfeld to New Girl and How I Met Your Mother, Hollywood has long put friendship groups in the spotlight. According to Connected Women’s resident psychologist Jacqui Manning, this is for good reason.

“A group of friends is ‘social proof’ you are liked and accepted, therefore leading to the perception of success,” she explains. “Secondly, the more friends you have, the more opportunities to talk to others there are, allowing you to network and expand your circle further.”

Manning highlights that those with larger friendship groups could be perceived to have better social skills and be more outgoing and confident. However, more of us are trying to keep a smaller circle. The State of American Friendship 2021 survey found 49 per cent of respondents have three or fewer close friends.

So, are there any benefits to keeping your inner circle intimate? According to Manning, here are some of them.

1. IT PROTECTS YOUR ENERGY

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 38 per cent of Aussie women always or often feel rushed or pressed for time, with females aged 35 to 44 years (55 per cent) the ones most likely to report feeling hurried.