Last week, I attended my 31st high school reunion. I attended an all-girls school, so it was more or less a girls’ trip. No spouses! No kids! And I have to say it was an unforgettable experience as we formed new bonds, rekindled old friendships, and returned home renewed and rejuvenated. It turns out that an all-girls getaway will do that for you. As a matter of fact, science tells us that hanging out with our girlfriends can help us live longer, just as much as not smoking. More interestingly, having girlfriends can prolong your life even more than exercising and maintaining a healthy weight! Before looking at the 10 reasons to attend your high school reunion, let’s check out some reasons why you may not want to attend.

7 Common reasons for ditching high school reunions

1) You might feel that people attend high school reunions to show off their status, including their slim figures, job positions, riches, etc.

2) You want to protect yourself by avoiding former classmates that might need a favor from you, whether financially or otherwise.

3) Sometimes, the logistics are practically impossible – inconvenient timing, too much of an investment, etc.

4) You believe that you are not in a good enough place in life to impress or show off to others.

5) You want to avoid inter-personal drama and dealing with people generally.

6) Why bother to attend a reunion when you can easily stalk your high school classmates on Facebook and Instagram free of charge?

7) You are afraid of being judged.

Are these reasons valid? Yes, most definitely! In fact, most people will entertain at least 3 to 5 of these seven reasons at some point, even if they eventually attend the reunion. Believe me, because I am talking from experience!

However, here are 10 reasons to attend your high school reunion that you should consider.

10 reasons to attend your high school reunion

1) Reconnect with old friends

Old friends make the best friends because they knew you before whoever you claim to be today. With old friends, you can easily drop the persona you present to the world and show your true identity without fear of judgment. Social media is great, but nothing beats face-to-face interpersonal connections. Here is a lesson from my recent high school reunion – If you think you know someone because you are friends on social media, think again!

2) Feel nostalgic

Hanging out with your girlfriends at your high school reunion will help you feel young again. We happily felt like teenagers again at our reunion, if only for a few days. We stayed up late, talked about “boys,” danced to oldies, threw wild parties, and thoroughly let go.

3) Let go of stress

High school reunions, especially hanging out with girlfriends, can be a stress-buster. You can forget about your work, family responsibilities, etc., for a minute. I remember receiving a text from the office while at the reunion. Apparently, a truck ran into a pole in front of the office, so we lost internet service at work. My office supervisor was pleasantly shocked when I replied, “Do the best you can because I am on the beach right now, and I can’t help you!”

4) Learn something new

Each person at a reunion has unique ideas and talents. Be eager to share and learn, and the amount of take-home knowledge will surprise you!

5) Great networking opportunity

Reunions are avenues to discuss new jobs, businesses, investments, etc. Imagine that your next great opportunity might be waiting for you at your next reunion!

6) Jointly accept aging

If you attend your school reunion and hang out with your girlfriends, you will soon realize that you are not alone in the aging process. Our problems are practically the same, receding hairlines, greying hair, belly bulge, cellulite, wrinkles, and all the not-so-cool things associated with aging. As a bonus to our reunion, we traded some anti-aging secrets that are almost impossible to find elsewhere.

7) Express gratitude

Expressing gratitude is crucial to our health and wellness. For more on why and how to express gratitude, check out “Thankful for the Little Things.” One thing that was obvious at our reunion was the gratitude we felt for being alive and able to reconnect. It’s been 31 years since leaving high school. Some of our former classmates have departed this world, and we cannot reconnect with them. We can only miss them and relive our memories of them. So we focused on creating long-lasting memories to be cherished for a long time.

8) Free therapy sessions

Now, you may not get this from a traditional high school reunion. However, a small group of trusted girlfriends from school can serve as your therapy group for a brief period. We all go about with past hurts, disappointments, perceived failures, insecurities, etc. We shed many tears at our reunion as we confided in one another. There was also so much laughter as we celebrated one another. It was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions!

9) Prolong your life

As I mentioned at the beginning, having friends and social relationships can help you live longer, just as much as not smoking, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.

10) Improve your health and wellbeing

Being around people is pretty good for your health and wellbeing. Several studies show that people with few social ties are more likely to experience chronic illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and poor immune function.

Final Thoughts

Not all high school reunions are the same. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will have a great experience. However, proper planning and preparation coupled with a positive mindset can help make sure it is an experience you will forever cherish.

Will there be some conflict? Most likely, especially if your group is all women, like mine. Moreover, personality clashes are often inevitable. But healthy conflict is a good thing; it is how we get to know one another better. Fortunately, with maturity, many people can resolve conflicts beautifully.

I am sure every one of us women had some trepidations about our recent high school reunion. Some of us had not seen each other since we left school over 30 years ago. Fortunately, we are all mature women now. At our age, we pretend less as we now feel more comfortable in our own skin. In the end, a group of fabulously unique women came together to find comfort, peace, love, acceptance, relaxation, laughter, friendships, memories, and much more!

If you still don’t feel like hanging out with your high school classmates, plan a getaway with some of your trusted girlfriends. You will be glad you did!

And, as for what we did and discussed during our all-night meetings at our reunion, let’s just say, “what happens at a high school reunion stays at a high school reunion!”

Please feel free to leave your comments below and share this article.

Yours in health and fitness,

Doctor Abi