This Friends Day, Show Your Bestie How Much You Care

MENLO PARK, Calif. Feb. 4, 2018 - Today is Friends Day, a day for putting your closest friends first - especially since our most valuable friendships are often the ones we don't always make time for or express how much they mean to us. In fact, in one recent study, researchers found that 3 in 4 people, at the end of their lives, say they are not spending enough time with friends and family, which falls in the top three biggest life regrets.

This goes to show that friendships are more important than ever for our happiness and well-being, and it's encouraging to see that there were 2x as many posts about friendship on Facebook in 2017 than in 2016. The support of our friends is key to reducing stress, as friendship boosts emotional, mental and physical health — particularly in scary or challenging times.

So, this Friends Day, let's put our besties first and celebrate all the special ways that they support us. According to friendship expert, Shasta Nelson - author, speaker and founder of GirlFriendCircles.org - there are a few easy ways you can express how important your friends are and to say 'thank you' to those that matter most:

• Brag and Cheer Loudly for the Success of Your Friends! Just like we’re cheering for our favorite teams, show the love to your friends on social media! Post your wedding congratulations, brag about their podcasts and blogs, and cheer for their work accomplishments.
• Send a Friend Award! Friends Awards on Facebook, available starting today, are simple to make and share, and can mean a whole lot to people who get them. The awards cover a spectrum of activities between friends, and you can create and share awards like 'Bestie,' 'Great Listener,' or 'Knows How to Make Me Laugh.'
• Host a Gratitude Party. Shared in Shasta's book Friendships Don’t Just Happen!, one fun idea is to throw a casual party for your friends who rallied around you after a hard year, a big event, or a painful crisis. Invite them over, feed them food, introduce them to each other, and thank them to their face for being there for you in a way that mattered!
• Post Photos of Friends on Friends Day! Post a collage of photos of friends who made memories with you this year—we all love to feel seen and valued! Plus, we'll see those photos pop up every year ensuring the love will keep on giving.

For more information about Friends Day check out www.facebook.com/friendsday for a fun and new way to show gratitude for your besties, including Friends Awards and some remarkably inspiring stories of friendship from around the world.

Happy Friends Day!

Media Contact
Lisa Stratton
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