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“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

The thing that I love most about my work is the people it brings me into contact with. I’ve developed some of the most fantastic friendships over the past ten years and many are people I have met through my business.

On average, we spend around 50 hours a week at work so it makes sense that the relationships we have with the people at work will have a significant impact on how happy we are.

Gallup recently conducted a comprehensive study of people in over 150 countries looking at the elements that contribute to wellbeing. They explored the most important factors in a well-lived life and social wellbeing was high on the list.

The study highlighted a few key points about the importance of relationships - and most importantly, the types of relationships that are good for us. The results are interesting but not overly surprising.

It’s important to have a best friend at work. Gallup observed that employees who report having a best friend at work were:

• 43% more likely to report having received praise or recognition for their work in the last seven days.
• 37% more likely to report that someone at work encourages their development.
• 35% more likely to report co-worker commitment to quality.
• 28% more likely to report that in the last six months, someone at work has talked to them about their progress.
• 27% more likely to report that the mission of their company makes them feel their job is important.
• 27% more likely to report that their opinions seem to count at work.
• 21% more likely to report that at work, they have the opportunity to do what they do best every day.

Strong social ties are good for our health. People with few social ties have nearly twice the risk of heart disease and are twice as likely to catch colds - despite their infrequent social contact.

Your friends' happiness levels affect yours. Your odds of being happy increase 15% if a direct connection in your social network is happy. The study found that each happy friend increases your odds of being happy by about 9%.

Thriving people spend six hours a day in social contact. Social time increases wellbeing and minimises stress and worry. Just three hours a day reduces your chances of having a bad day to 10%. But six hours a day will help you thrive.

One friend isn't always enough. We enjoy our friends for different reasons. Some are good value for a laugh; others great for debriefing about serious issues; while yet others are ideal to share interests with (such as seeing a film or live music, going to a play or shopping). The research found that people who have at least three or four very close friendships are healthier and more likely to be happy in all aspects of their lives. The absence of any close friendships can lead to loneliness, boredom and depression.

Given your relationships play such a big part in your happiness, give some thought to the quality of the friendships you currently have. Your time is precious - make sure you’re spending it with people who energise and inspire you.

Statistics source: http://gmj.gallup.com/

Kate is a Premium member of Business Chicks, request her online business card and connect with her here.

Kate James is the director of The Change Project, an online resource centre creating positive change in people's lives.