How to Make Your Friendships More Fulfilling
Eight Ways to Strengthen Your Relationships with Friends.
Friendships bring great joy to our lives. Friends are people who say and do things that make us feel happy. Hanging out with friends gives us comfort and a sense of security, and also helps us release stress. The connection we have with our friends keeps us from feeling sad and lonely.
“The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships” — Abraham Lincoln
Since friendships have such a major influence on our lives, it is essential to nurture these relationships. We should continuously show our gratitude and appreciation for such an important relationship.
Here are eight ways to help you strengthen your relationships with your friends:
1) Be creative when making plans together –
Friendships can get stale over time if you don’t try new things together. Being creative can encourage you to learn more about each other and can keep things interesting! Be willing to be adventurous and explore new hangouts and initiate new activities.
2) Be vulnerable –
Being vulnerable can be difficult and challenging to achieve, yet very rewarding. Taking that step can allow you to have a deeper connection. For friendships to be based on reality, the real you, it needs to have a foundation that is based on the truth. By being very open and honest about your experiences, thoughts and feelings, your relationship will be more authentic.
3) Be a good listener –
Being an active listener is the number one way to strengthen connections. Show them you are a good listener by taking the time to listen to them first. When they’re talking to you, pay attention to what they’re saying by making eye contact, facial expressions and not interrupting. This shows that you are interested in what they are saying and will make them feel validated. Being an active listener shows you care and gives them confidence to open up to you in the future.
“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” — Karl A. Menniger
4) Be thoughtful –
Being thoughtful is about paying attention to what is happening in your friends’ lives. Frequently ask for updates on their lives. This shows you care and that you are thinking about them. Always try to remember what they say in a previous conversation and check-in. Also, being thoughtful can mean remembering important dates such as birthdays and other events.
5) Be appreciative –
Don’t take your friends for granted; say or do something to make them feel special. Little gifts or complimentary messages can show how much you appreciate the friendship and who they are. Make sure to always thank them for the nice things they do for you.
6) Be in touch regularly –
We get immersed in other aspects of our lives and can forget about our friendships. Despite the fact that technology makes it very easy to stay connected, we can still drift apart. Technology will assist you with staying in touch, but it can never be a replacement for spending quality time together in person. Friendships must be nurtured otherwise they will perish. Try to keep in touch regularly to maintain contact and show you care. Even going for a coffee or initiating a phone call can keep a friendship going.
7) Be reliable –
Being reliable creates trust. Being reliable means keeping to the plan and not cancelling at the last-minute. It also means, that if you say you will do something, you will do it. Having a friend that you know you can depend on is always reassuring.
8) Resolve disagreements –
Disagreements should not be ignored for too long. When you and a friend are arguing, try to work things out and resolve the issue as soon as you have cooled down. Listen to their viewpoint and consider the issue from their perspective. Accept that each other’s perspective is different but not wrong. Be willing to apologize and forgive.
I hope that these eight suggestions will strengthen your friendships and will help you build long-lasting fulfilling relationships.
Friendship is “A bond between two people that is emotionally tied by a sense of care and support, with similar values and interests, while being fun fools on this adventure called life”- Casey Benadof
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Carley Earwaker
