5 Ways to Nurture Healthy Friendships
As an adult, it can sometimes feel more difficult to foster and maintain healthy friendships than it did when you were a child and teenager. Keeping strong friendships takes effort and nurturing, and it’s important to put that effort in so you can surround yourself with people who love and support you.
Thankfully, nurturing healthy friendships doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, it can be a lot of fun. You’ll learn more about the people you care about, you might end up learning more about yourself, and you’ll open yourself up to new perspectives and experiences.
Let’s cover a few effective ways you can start nurturing healthy friendships immediately.
1. Be an Active Listener
Communication is important in every type of relationship. But you have to remember that it’s a two-way street.
While expressing your needs and your feelings to your friends is great, make sure you’re listening to theirs, too. Listening and hearing are two different things. Active listening involves:
Giving your friend your full attention.
Asking questions.
Using both verbal and nonverbal cues to let them know their words matter.
Active listening is more than just respectful. It’s a way to learn more about your friend and develop a stronger, more open relationship.
2. Check In
There’s no question that we’re living in a fast-paced, busy world. If you and your friends have packed schedules, getting together as often as you would like might feel next to impossible.
While meeting in person is great, if it’s not always an option, make sure you’re at least checking in with your friends regularly. If there’s a benefit to our fast-paced world, it’s that technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected. Even a simple text or video chat can go a long way in keeping your relationships strong.
3. Share Interests
You and your friends don’t have to like all of the same things. But, if they are genuinely interested in something, consider exploring it. Try to get involved in a hobby they enjoy. That might include going to an art gallery or a sports game. You might also explore new interests together to deepen your connection. Learning more about your friends is a great way to open your mind, experience new things, and potentially change your perspective on some things.
4. Set Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are often misunderstood and stereotyped as being something negative. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Healthy boundaries in friendships set the tone for what you can expect from each other. You’re less likely to have conflicts with your friends by expressing your needs, wants, and limits. Your relationships will be stronger with less room for confusion or miscommunication.
In addition to setting your own boundaries, make sure you respect the boundaries of your friends, too. Not only is it respectful, but it will also continue to boost the sense of harmony in your relationships.
5. Be Kind
No matter which of these tips you put into practice, make sure you lead with kindness, no matter what. It goes a long way; you’re more likely to receive it in return.
Kindness covers a wide variety of underlying characteristics. It includes encouraging your friends when they’re struggling, cheering them on when they’re working toward something, showing empathy when they’re down, and going out of your way to do nice things for them just because you care.
Never underestimate the power of kindness or how it can bolster your friendships.
Friends are some of the most important relationships you’ll ever have in your life. In this busy world, prioritizing those relationships can help you feel fulfilled, and you can take comfort in knowing you’ll always have a support system to lean on.
If you feel like you need help finding friends or maintaining friendships, a therapist can help. Contact our office today to see how therapy can help you learn more about yourself, help your relationships, and maintain your mental health.