Spending quality time with your gal pals is the key to staying happy, according to new research.
A psychologist has carried out a study into what people get out of relationships, and it turns out that friendships might play an even bigger role in our lives than families or partners.
Dr William Chopik's research found that you can get joy from spending time with your friends because they are the people whose company you choose, free of any obligation.
"These are relationships of choice. You choose to hang out together because you enjoy each other’s company," says Dr William Chopik's, whose work was published in Personal Relationships .
But quality time doesn't mean text messages and phone calls, it means proper face-t--face time with your pals, the Mirror reports .
This way you can have real conversations, which includes reading each other's body language and facial expressions, which in classed as a 'relationship-boosting' experience.
We reckon that this is makes a girls' getaway so important, because you are getting valuable face-to-face interaction, but with a whole group of your mates, instead of just one.
It's also a great compromise if you're all living in different cities as the travelling doesn't fall on one person's shoulders - you can all make equal effort.
Then of course there's the fact that a holiday on its own can also be a pretty joyful experience as you're getting heaps of relaxation and escaping the hustle and bustle of daily life.
That doesn't mean you need to be breaking the bank and jet-setting off on glamorous holidays; a long weekend in the British countryside is just as valid as a sun-soaked beach holiday. It's about getting that quality time together.
Spending time with friends can become increasingly important to staying happy.
After all, as Dr Chopik explains: "You spend time on things that make you happy because you realise time is finite. As you age, you realise life is short, and you should spend time doing things that make you happy."
