Triangle Bob makes me laugh⏤though, usually not on purpose⏤Circlia gives the best hugs, Rhombus gives me great fashion advice, 

and Greeg... well, I have no idea what he does, honestly; he vomits portals, I guess.

But all this reflection on friendship had me thinking: Are my friends helping me beyond just having fun?

Turns out, they might be saving my life.

What if you don't have any friends and are extremely lonely?

Well... stay tuned, I guess; cue the intro!

Hey, there; welcome to Life Noggin.

Great friends don't just drive you to the airport or help you move your Blockea furniture; they can also save your life.

There are many factors that determine your overall health that go way beyond your genes and lifestyle choices.

Everything from your living and work environments to your income and education play a role in your health, including your relationships.

These are called "social determinants of health", and studies have found that they can account for up to 35% of your health outcome.

But, in many cases, you don't have much control over them.

People who live in unsafe neighborhoods, don't have a stable income, and lack access to quality higher education or health care services have poorer health

because they experience pollution and violence, are unable to afford healthy foods and college, and have less of an opportunity for exercise.

But friends can help reduce some of those negative impacts by improving your mental and physical health, and even helping you live longer.

Studies have found that the health benefits of social relationships occur at all stages of life.

In one study, researchers compared people who had lots of friends to those who were isolated.

They found that connected teenagers had a 25% lower chance of inflammation, while socially-active seniors had a 54% lower chance of hypertension.

Other studies have found that friendships can help reduce the stress caused by rejection or teasing in school-aged children, and also reduced the risk of dementia in older populations.

And when it comes to your lifespan, having strong social relationships can have a major impact.

In a 2010 analysis of 148 studies, which included over 300,000 participants, researchers determined exactly how much relationships influence your risk for death.

They found that no matter what age, biological sex, initial health status, or cause of death,

people with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those with weaker social relationships.

This is a massive amount of influence on your lifespan.

It's as big a health boost as quitting smoking and twice as much as exercising.

Listen, I know it can sometimes be hard to make friends, but they could give you a happier, healthier, and longer life.

So, try talking to some co-workers, join in-person meet-up groups, or even get your friends virtually with an online community like this one.

Our Discord link is down in the description!

Here's something we could try, actually; right now, comment down below the three things that you enjoy.

Maybe a certain video game, sport, or other activity.

If you find someone with similar interest, interact with them.

Maybe you'll meet your new best friend in the comments, who knows?

A big congrats to our winners of the Blockify Me character contest.

Did you see them throughout the video? (You) Might wanna go back and check.

Don't worry if you didn't get selected; because we had over 100,000 entries, which was a lot more than we thought we would have, we're doing this again.

Click the Gleam link in the description to enter for your chance to be turned into a Life Noggin character, like these wonderful people.

It's super easy.

Watch the problems you'll face with getting older video next or click here to watch this video next.

Check out lifespan.io, the team that powers Life Noggin, down in the description.

And, as always, my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin; don't forget to keep on thinking.