Research shows that strong relationships and support from friends, family or a partner play an important role in a person's ability to manage stress.

There are different types of social support, all of which can help you in different ways.

Emotional support offers empathy, caring and love.

Informational support involves offering information and advice to help deal with a problem, and practical support involves giving time or resources.

You may go to different people to obtain various types of support. It is key to your wellbeing that there are people in your life to whom you can and do turn to, to help you cope with both small and big challenges in your life.

Quality, not quantity

While some people are naturally outgoing and make friends easily, others are more reserved or even uncomfortable in social settings. However, it's not the number of friends that count – it's the quality.

Having strong, close relationships with mutual understanding and trust is the goal and can be achieved whether you're a social butterfly or wall flower. Looking for various people that you can connect with is an important step in building strong relationships.

Remember, if someone is good at giving practical advice, they may not need to engage in deep conversations with you.

Practice appreciation

Learning to appreciate what your social network can give and asking for what you need from the relationship allows people the opportunity to give you what you're looking for.

Similarly, identifying what you can offer in return and thinking of ways that you enjoy giving will also go a long way to improving your relationships and wellbeing.