Let’s start by asking the most important question: Why do we find it important to have friends?
What is the Importance of Friendships?
Most people think that the only relationship you should care about finding and having is the romantic relationship you have with your significant other, but that’s far from being true. Your mental health and happiness are heavily influenced by your friendships. In addition to relieving stress and providing comfort and joy, good friendships prevent loneliness and isolation. Physical health can also positively be impacted by close friendships. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and drinking too much may be as harmful as a lack of social connections. You are even more likely to live longer if you have friends. It has been found that maintaining a rich network of friends along with doing physical activities can make you live longer.
In addition to everything mentioned above, having good, healthy friendships has a lot of advantages for you, such as:
1. You Achieve Your Goals Faster:
Having that kind of support system in your life is much more important than you think. You won’t feel sad or broken. You won’t have to go through hardships because you always have someone there for you. With that kind of support, you can achieve whatever goal you have in your life.
2. You Get Through Mental Issues Easier:
Whatever mental illness or issues you might have, such as depression or anxiety, your friends are there for you with the right fix. Even if you wanted to be alone for the day, in your heart you know that you are not because the minute you call a friend, they will show up. Having that kind of support in your life is crucial when battling a mental illness.
3. You Feel Worthy and Wanted:
Having a sense of self-worth depends on your ability to give and receive as part of your friendship. It makes you feel needed and gives you a sense of purpose to be there for your friends.
4. They Make it Easier to Grow Old:
When you reach retirement age, experience illness, or a loved one passes away, you may feel isolated. You can fight depression, disabilities, hardships, and loss as you age by knowing there are people you can turn to for support and company.
How to Maintain Healthy Friendships?
Listed below are a few tips that can be very useful for you to maintain a healthy relationship with your friends:
1. Make Time for Each Other:
Friendships that are easy to maintain and don't require much time are nice, especially when you are miles apart or your schedules are completely different. Those you want to keep, however, require staying in touch and spending quality time together. So make sure to always check in with your friend when you can. You can agree on weekly or monthly phone dates, or just text them now and then to let them know that they're on your mind. Scheduling some time to just have fun and hang out like the old days could be perfect as well.
2. Be Honest:
Honesty is the best policy in any sort of relationship and in human interactions in general. When there’s some tension in the air, you have to confront your friend and let them know what’s on your mind. This way, you wouldn’t have to use the old, unnecessary passive aggressiveness with each other. You just get straight to the point, listen to each other, address the problem, then look for solutions.
3. You Have to Show That You Care:
Healthy, lifelong friendships require a lot of honest care. You have to always be there for your friend, no matter what. You can keep them assured of that by making small gestures that convey the message. A phone call, a present, or a night out if they told you they were having a bad day. In short, any sort of continuous support would do.
4. Be Grateful and Show It:
You have to show your friends that you’re grateful to have them in your life by cherishing the memories and the small activities that built your friendship in the first place. Maybe you have a tradition together that you used to do when you first met. Make sure to do it now and then to remind yourselves of the strong, important, and beautiful friendship that you have.
5. Do New Things Together:
New experiences are always a good way to bring back the spark in a friendship. Maybe you and your friends have always wanted to do something together but never had the time. Now is the perfect moment, and no time is like the present, go for it! Check on each other’s bucket lists, take your suitable picks, and live a series of new experiences together. This would also be helpful for your mental health because it would break the never-ending routines of adulting. It would bring back the spark of joy for everyone involved, both as a group and as individuals.
Look for All The Red Flags Before Jumping into a New Friendship:
When trying to make new friends, you always have to check for all the red flags that you see as dealbreakers. A friendship can last a lifetime, so you don’t want it to be toxic. Keep your boundaries clear, be honest around people, and eventually you will be able to find people with good qualities that are worth your time and loyalty.
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