A study carried out in 2017 found that being healthy later on in life can come down to how well you’ve nurtured your friendships. The research, carried out by Michigan State University, surveyed 271,053 people in nearly 100 countries and found that people who claimed to have a stronger bond with friends had a higher happiness level in general.

However, the researchers found that the one and only link between good relationships to health and happiness in older participants was from strong friendships.

So invest time in your friendships now, because you’ll be truly thankful when you’re old and wise.

This is how long it takes to make new friends, according to science