Any woman knows that there’s nothing quite like taking a trip with her girlfriends. Now, a study has shown that going on a trip with her girlfriends is actually good for a woman’s health!

Researchers at Harvard University just carried out a study that concluded that spending quality time with your close friends can actually increase your life expectancy. The researchers found that people who do not have close friends are more likely to suffer from depression as well as cognitive decline, including diseases like dementia, as they get older.

Researchers even said that a lack of friends can have as bad an impact on a person’s overall health as smoking cigarettes 15 times per day, increasing the risk of premature death by 50 percent.

This is not the first time that a study has come to this conclusion. Other similar studies have found that there is a distinct correlation between strong relationships and lower risk of cardiovascular disease as well as the ability to better tolerate pain.

Psychologists say that this could be partly because being around friends causes the brain’s production of the hormone oxytocin to increase. Oxytocin is also known as the “love” or “feel good” hormone, and it helps relieve pain and foster trust in those around us.

These studies show that regardless of how busy our work schedules become, it is crucial to carve out time to spend with our friends. The few hours you spend with your friends may actually be adding years to your life, so if you’re looking for an excuse to take a girls’ trip, this sounds like a pretty good one to me!