“I’ve been really stressed lately and didn’t know when I left the house how much I needed this girlfriend trip.”

Colleen, her sister, and a girlfriend take a road trip every August to shop, shop and, knowing Colleen as well as I do, shop some more. They load the car with a cooler and snacks, and then fill the hours and miles on the way to wherever with laughter, stories, and catching up on their lives. Colleen swears that laughter burns calories – who am I to argue? – so all the treats and meals on their girl’s getaway don’t even count. Their faces literally hurt the entire time from all the giggling, to full out shouts of laughter. (I heard some of their stories – there really were pretty hilarious!)

Funny thing, it wasn’t until after the trip that Colleen realized how much she needed the trip. Not just enjoyed it – like wanting to get out of the house for bit – but truly NEEDED it. She needed to be around her friends, to connect, laugh, share, and, again in Colleen’s case, shop – with her girlfriends. (-:

The American Institute of Stress says that stress induced symptoms or diseases are responsible for 75-90% of visits to primary care physicians. So many other studies (including those in The Tending Instinct) point to the power of female friendship physically reducing stress. Laughing with friends, knowing they’re there for you, and just being around women who care about you is a wonderful and healthy thing.

We get back in touch with ourselves when we reconnect with women who know us as “Linda” or “Anne,” not Mrs., Teacher, Doctor – or any other title.

Our female friends provide a unique support system that has a truly positive impact on our health. (Tell that to your husband when he asks why you need to go shopping with your girlfriends!)

For Colleen and her girlfriends, their weekend together de-stressed them. They consciously felt better when they returned than before their girlfriend getaway. Their lower stress levels were palatable. On top of all that, they have great memories and some really funny stories to laugh over for years to come.

This Month of Friendship that we’re celebrating in the Friendship Circle blogs is a month we all hope inspires you to reach out to new friends, stay in touch with old friends, appreciate and celebrate all your girlfriends. We want you to learn ways to strengthen your long-time friendships, give you some ideas on how to make new friends, and enjoy making memories together and understand why it’s so important – and healthy – to have strong friendships.

All that, and reduce your stress! What could be better?

Debba Haupert is the creator of Girlfriendology.com – the online community for women based on inspiration, appreciation and celebration of female friends. Girlfriendology offers inspiring blogs, BlogTalkRadio interviews with amazing women, inspirational quotes, girlfriend gifts and all the fun things you’d share with your girlfriends.

The Friendship Circle (a network of five organizations committed to celebrating the power of female friendships) is partnering in September for aMonth of Friendship. Visit these Friendship Circle websites daily in September for more inspiration and information:

• The Friendship Blog – by psychologist, professor of psychiatry, and author, Dr. Irene S. Levine (The Friendship Doctor), author of Best Friends Forever: Surviving A Breakup with Your Best Friend. Follow Irene on Twitter.
• GirlfriendCelebrations – premier source of girls night ideas on the web. Founded by friends Dawn Williams Bertuca and Tina VanZant Bishop. Girlfriend Celebrations on Facebook and Twitter
• GirlFriendCircles.com - only online community that matches new friends offline by connecting circles of women in local areas, by Shasta Nelson. OnFacebook and Twitter.
• Girlfriendology.com - online community for women based on inspiration, appreciation and celebration of female friendship. Created by Debba Haupert. On Facebook and Twitter.
• MWF Seeking BFF - chronicles the author’s search for a new best friend after moving to a new city for love, by Rachel Bertsche. Follow Rachel on Twitter.