When women are overworked, overloaded or just plain stressed, we tend to let slide the one thing that strengthens, heals and nurtures us most—time with each other.

And yet friendships have been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol. And a recent UCLA study found that they help alleviate stress.

Need we say more? Well we’re going to anyway.

Studies suggest that in response to stress, women often experience what's called the "tend and befriend" phenomenon: Levels of the hormone oxytocin increase, which makes us want to take care of our children and bond with other women. When we actually do these things, our bodies release still more oxytocin, which lowers our stress even further. See the relationship? Get stressed, bond with friends, stress goes away.

And that's not all. The famous Nurses Health Study at Harvard Medical School concluded that not having friends was as bad for your health as being overweight or smoking.

No matter how busy you are, never neglect or underestimate the power of your girlfriends. They'll help you live longer. Literally. So try scheduling a regular weekly girl's outing so it's always in your calendar, or make a friend your daily jogging buddy and kill two birds with one stone. If you make it a priority, there are always ways to work in time for your friends.

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