It's rare, but sometimes strangers on the internet can dole out some true wisdom. In this case, we present you tidbits of knowledge from the sisterhood of women. Cue the viral TikTok soundbite from the "Anne with an E" series: "How I love being a woman!"
These tips from ladies come from the Ask Women subreddit. They all had some really interesting and wholesome insights to the question "What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a woman that you wish you knew when you were younger?" Ladies shared all sorts of advice that they gathered throughout their years on this earth, and you can read the most impactful entries below.
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This wholesome thread of women sharing wisdom is evidence that we need strong female relationships. In some cases, female friendships can even help women survive longer. Studies have shown that psychological support increases the survival rate of breast cancer patients.
That's exceedingly true for those women who get their diagnosis early. A 2011 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that women were 4 times more likely to die if they didn't have many friends.
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Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Christina Watlington lists some benefits of sisterhood. First, it can have a calming effect. Reaching out to girlfriends when we're feeling stressed can help us unwind.
"In doing so, our brains actually release a feel-good chemical, oxytocin. This chemical instantly reduces anxiety, improves focus and concentration and encourages us to bond," Dr. Watlington writes.
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Laura Cousin Klein, Ph.D., has found that women respond differently to stress than men. When stress gets a hold of men, it triggers a fight-or-flight response. Based on recent studies, researchers now believe that women have a wider variety of responses. Klein says that in women, oxytocin buffers the fight-or-flight response. They then start taking care of children and gather with other women instead.
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"When [a woman] actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect," Klein claims.
Why doesn't this happen to men? The doctor believes testosterone reduces the effects of oxytocin. Estrogen, in turn, enhances them. Female friendships therefore act as a chemical antidote to stress.
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Dr. Watlington lists another benefit of female friendships – its power to stave off loneliness. "When we feel connected to other people, we are buffering ourselves against the detrimental effects of loneliness," the clinical psychologist writes.
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This is especially important for older women. Marriage and family therapist Andrea Brandt, Ph.D, writes about this for Psychology Today. According to her, female friendships are often the key to happiness for older women. The downside is that we often refuse to see it as important.
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"Human beings need relationships to survive," she writes. "Infants can die if they go too long without being held, and the elderly experience an increased risk of mortality without social interactions. Isolation and loneliness are major factors in depression and negatively affect mental, physical, and cognitive health."
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Whether we're young or old, knowing that we're part of one big sisterhood can help our mental health a great deal. Female friendships are on a whole other level and that's backed up by science.
It's like Beyonce said: "I love my husband, but it is nothing like a conversation with a woman that understands you. I grow so much from those conversations."
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