It may seem like your partner just wants to ‘hang with the boys’ all the time, but having a ‘bromance’ is good for men’s mental health.
File photo/ iStock
Male friendships are a touchy subject in some romantic relationships.
Many men have been accused of spending more time with their friends than they do with their girlfriends and wives.
The topic creates so much tension in their dating lives that they sometimes feel torn between two worlds: bromance vs romance.
Some studies have shown that “high-quality” friendship can actually help you live longer.
“People who have friends and close confidants are more satisfied with their lives and less likely to suffer from depression. They’re also less likely to die from all causes, including heart problems and a range of chronic diseases,” the American Psychological Association said in 2023.
Friendships, in a way, are a form of self-care for men. They work out at the gym together, watch sports, and enjoy shared hobbies.
It is not only good for their mental health because it brings them happiness, but it can also give them a sense of purpose, especially when other parts of their lives are falling apart.
Hanging with old and new friends after a hectic week at work is their way of unwinding.
In many cases, their friends become like brothers to them.
READ: LISTEN | Danny Guselli chats to Durban’s Brian Fell about mental health
Why do men seem to enjoy hanging out with their friends more than their girlfriends?
A viral social media post doing the rounds recently claims that 74% of men prefer hanging out with their friends rather than with their girlfriends.
There is no proof that the study is not real, but the men leaving comments are, and they shared interesting insights into why bromances are important.
“I love my wife, but I need the masculine energy with the bros, the guy humour, the fighting, the competition. I can’t do any of that with my wife,” one man commented on Instagram.
Another ‘bro’ added: “We’ll uplift each other and then talk sh*t and then hysterically laugh, and maybe a fight, but we ALWAYS shake hands, and it’s all good.”
On the flip side, many believe that good male friendships can help strengthen romantic partnerships.
Good friends offer emotional support and healthy advice when men need it most.
A popular study published in Men and Masculinities surveyed a group of young men about their bromances and romantic relationships.
“We find that the increasingly intimate, emotive, and trusting nature of bromances offers young men a new social space for emotional disclosure, outside of traditional heterosexual relationships,” the study found.
Some of the men said they enjoyed “the lack of boundaries and judgment in a bromance”. Others said that bronances gave them:
- elevated emotional stability
- enhanced emotional disclosure
- social fulfilment
- better conflict resolution
Many men are also still more comfortable talking about health matters with their friends than they are with their partners.
“If I found a lump on my testicle, I’d talk to [my bromance] rather than my girlfriend,” one man said, per TIME magazine.
Men who spend a lot of time with their friends don’t value their partners any less. Balance is also important.
If your romantic partner feels insecure about your bromance, be more intentional about making time for each other.
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