Research has shown that if you improve friendships, you will also improve your life. This article is a practical guide to help you learn how to make friends and strong friendships.
It includes tips and favorable practices on how to get started with new people, how to be more social, how to build trust, how to maintain friendships over time, and more.
It is proven that there are positive effects of friendship and healthy practices of friendship as well as building healthy habits. It can change your physical health in great ways and there are health beliefs that support the idea that having good relationships leads to better health.
This article will show you how to develop stronger friendships and how to create a lifestyle that supports friendships.
You will find out what makes a successful relationship, why it’s important to have friends, and how to become a friend yourself, as well as how to avoid common mistakes when making friends.
There are only three steps to creating a strong friendship. You need to know these steps before you start trying to make friends.
- Know how to build strong friendships that last forever
- Build stronger friendships
- Avoid common mistakes when making friends
These are pillars for any friendship. If you don't have them, then you won't have lasting friendships.
So, read the entire article if you want to improve your life by improving one of the most important relationships in it!
How to Build Strong Friendships That Last Forever
Having strong and healthy friendships in your personal life can do wonders for you.
They are different than romantic relationships since they don’t involve the same feelings or emotions. However, they are just as important, or even more. You may think that having good friends is easy, but it requires work.
It takes effort and dedication to build connections with health and keep them going. But once you start working at it, you will see how much better you feel when you have friends around you.
Let's look at some things you should consider before moving on to our tips on how to improve friendships.
The first thing you should know is that there are two types of friendships: casual and deep.
Casual friendships
Casual friendships are those where you hang out with someone now and then without any expectations.
You don’t have to be best friends, but you do need to get along well enough that you can spend time together. If you want to make a real friendship, you should try to develop it over time.
It takes work, so don’t expect it to happen overnight. But if you put in the effort, you will find that your relationship is much more rewarding.
Deep friendships
Deep friendships are those where you share things and spend regular time together, and they know you deeply: from embarrassing situations you've been through, to your hopes and dreams.
They can help you through tough times, they can give you support when you need it, they can improve your physical health and mental health and they can even save your life.
True friends are those people you think of whenever you think of a good friendship quality. They are there for you no matter what happens. The key to creating a deep friendship is to focus on developing your common interests. When you do this, you will naturally become closer to each other.
Whether you are looking to improve friendships casually or deeply, you'll need to ask yourself and analyze the reason why you want to improve friendships.
Why do you want to improve friendships?
Try to understand why you want to improve your friendships.
Why do you want to become a friend? Do you want to meet new people or do you just want to enjoy being around them in social situations? Maybe you have a strong support system full of connections of friendship and are looking to make it stronger.
Whatever the case is, it is good that you are thinking about this because it helps you figure out where you stand and what you want from your friendships.
Once you understand why you want to improve friendships and become a better person, you should be aware that there are several great benefits.
The benefits of friendships
Knowing the positive effects of friendship is essential if you are looking to improve friendships as well as deepen existing ones.
When you have friends, you feel happier and healthier. Studies show that having close friends has many positive effects on almost all aspects of life.
It improves your mood, boosts your self-esteem, makes you less lonely, gives you motivation, increases your productivity, reduces stress, and lowers your risk of depression and your overall physical health too.
Studies also show that having friends and healthy practices of friendship can increase your lifespan by up to five years. Some of the benefits include:
- Improving your mental health
- Improving your physical health
- Helping you cope with stress
- Giving you a sense of belonging
- Being able to count on others
- Having someone to confide in
- Getting advice
- Enjoying company
- Providing emotional support
- Sharing experiences
- Spending time together
- Building healthy habits
So, knowing all these great benefits of friendships, how can we improve them? Well, here are some tips to help you improve friendships:
Build Stronger Friendships
Now that you know why you want to improve friendships, as well as the benefits and health beliefs of them, we can move on to some favorable practices that will help you achieve that goal.
One of the first things you can do is to build stronger relationships with your friends, the ones you currently have.
You should try to spend more time with them, talk to them more often, make eye contact when doing so, share your thoughts and feelings with them, and be honest with them. Improve the overall friendship quality.
You should also avoid doing things that could hurt their feelings or yours. We'll expand on this further on.
But, if you want to start new friendships, let's first see some healthy practices and tips that'll get you started right away:
Get started with new people
Starting a new friendship can sometimes be difficult. You may find yourself feeling nervous or anxious, but there are ways to overcome those feelings and get started.
First, you need to decide whether you want to initiate the conversation or wait for the other person to approach you. If you choose to initiate the conversation, then you need to ask questions and listen carefully to the answers.
If you choose to wait for the other person, then you need to smile and look interested. This way, they'll feel comfortable approaching you.
To make potential friends, you can attend community events at your local community center and always look for ways to expand your social life. This way, you'll meet new people and form new friendships.
You must stick to social norms at the beginning, especially if you're meeting new people. Don't overdo it and don't be rude. Be polite and friendly, and keep an open mind.
Don't forget to smile!
Try to be more social
This tip has everything to do with the previous one. To get started with new people, you must be more social and open to new opportunities.
There are many ways to become more social, such as joining clubs, volunteering, going out with friends, attending parties, and even playing sports. In addition to this, you can join social networking sites that will allow you to connect with people from around the world and learn new things.
Another thing you can do is get better at some of the skills required to be more social, these are:
- Social skills
- Conversational skills
- Listening skills
- Emotional intelligence
- Self-awareness
When you become more social, you'll develop many positive qualities, including confidence, self-esteem, empathy, and compassion.
These are all good traits to have because they'll help you build strong friendships. But, it's not the only thing required to improve friendships, so let's move on to our next tip!
Focus on building trust
Trust and communication are two crucial elements of quality relationships, including friendships.
If you learned all about listening skills and conversational skills, you can put them into practice by having good quality conversations with friends. This way, your friends will open up to you and know that you care about them.
You can also focus on developing trust by being honest and transparent. It's okay to tell your friend what you think and how you feel, and it's also okay to share your thoughts and opinions.
Also, when you communicate well with others, you'll develop stronger bonds with them. So, if you want to improve your friendships, you need to work on communicating and building trust.
Learn how to have fun together
So far you've learned all about trust, conversations with friends, listening skills as well as social skills, and being more open and outgoing why not put all these into practice with your new friends?
The best way to start a friendship is to have fun together.
You can go hiking, play games, watch movies, cook food, or just talk about anything. If you don't know yet what you enjoy doing together, it'll be fun to try new things until you find something that you both like.
Once you find something that you enjoy doing together, you'll have a great time spending time with each other. And, you'll probably end up becoming close friends in no time.
Remember, there's nothing wrong with taking things slow. Just remember to take things slowly and be patient with yourself.
Accept and learn how to deal with conflicts
One very important thing to know about new friendships and how to improve those you already have is how to deal with conflict. The first thing you should do is accept that it is going to happen and you need to learn to know how you are going to react to it.
It might seem obvious but sometimes we forget that we're human and we make mistakes.
Accepting this fact means that you won't blame yourself for making mistakes. You'll also realize that everyone makes mistakes and conflict between friends is normal. You shouldn't judge someone else based on their mistakes.
After accepting that you're human, you should learn how to deal with conflict in a healthy manner. This will lead to better friendships.
When you learn how to deal with disagreements, you'll be able to resolve problems without getting angry or upset.
This will allow you to avoid arguments and keep your relationship strong.
Be the problem solver
Sometimes, even though you may be trying to solve a problem, you still get stuck. When this happens, you should ask for help from your friends.
They'll be happy to help you out and give you advice. They'll also understand where you're coming from and will be able to offer some helpful tips.
It goes both ways. If you're there for your friends and helping them solve their issues, they'll be more inclined to come back to you when they need them.
If you want to improve your relationships with your friends, you need to be a problem solver, but how?
Being a problem solver can be a helpful skill to improve friendships because it allows you to approach conflicts and challenges constructively and proactively.
Here are some steps you can take to be a problem solver in your friendships:
Identify the problem
Start by clearly identifying the issue at hand: What is causing the conflict or challenge in your friendship?
Seek to understand
Try to see the problem from your friend's perspective. Ask questions and listen to their point of view without jumping to conclusions or getting defensive.
Brainstorm solutions
Once you have a clear understanding of the problem, work with your friend to generate potential solutions. Try to come up with a variety of options, and consider the pros and cons of each.
Choose a solution
Together with your friend, decide on the best course of action. This may involve compromising or finding a solution that works for both of you.
Follow through
Once you have chosen a solution, be sure to follow through and take the necessary steps to implement it. This may require follow-up communication or further problem-solving if new challenges arise.
By following these steps, you can work with your friend to address conflicts and challenges productively and collaboratively, helping to strengthen your friendship.
Maintain your friendship over time
Maintaining a friendship over time requires effort and commitment from both parties. Here are a few tips to help you do so.
Make time for each other
Make an effort to regularly set aside time to catch up with your friend, whether it's in person, over the phone, or via video call.
Stay in touch
Even when you're busy, make an effort to keep in touch with your friend through regular communication. This can be as simple as sending a quick text message or email to say hello.
Be there for each other
A strong friendship is built on a foundation of support and trust. Be there for your friend during difficult times, and offer your support and understanding.
Keep the lines of communication open
Good communication is key to maintaining a friendship. If you have concerns or issues, be honest and open about them with your friend.
Make an effort to stay connected
If you and your friend are in different locations or have busy schedules, make an effort to stay connected through social media, phone calls, or video chats.
Be open to change
As people grow and change, it's important to be open and accepting of those changes in your friendship.
Be forgiving
No one is perfect, and it's important to be able to forgive your friend when they make mistakes. This helps to strengthen your bond and build trust. Remember, maintaining a friendship takes effort and commitment, but it can be a rewarding and fulfilling part of your life.
You that you know everything there is to know about how to improve friendships, build stronger ones, and make new ones, let's move on to what you should avoid when making friends.
Avoid These Things When Making Friends
When it comes to making friends, there are certain things you shouldn't do. By all means, you should avoid building unhealthy habits together.
Unhealthy habits are bad for both parties involved and they may even lead to conflict between friends or even damage your personal life.
So, to avoid unhealthy habits, consider the following examples of those unhealthy practices:
Avoid alcohol abuse
Consumption of alcohol can be a common practice among friends, but you should never abuse it.
Alcohol abuse is not only common in masculine friendships but also in feminine friendships.
This means that, contrary to a common belief, alcohol abuse is not a gendered practice and although it can be related to hegemonic masculinity, it is more often related to the lack of self-control and control of emotions.
In this case, you should always remember that drinking too much alcohol can cause several problems such as:
- Loss of control
- Aggression
- Poor decision making
- Increased risk of accidents
- Decreased ability to think clearly
- Damage to the liver
- Disruption of sleep patterns
- Increase in heart
Alcohol abuse is a very serious issue because it has been linked to many other harmful practices such as drug use, violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide attempts, etc.
So, if you're thinking about starting a new friendship, you should avoid alcohol abuse at all costs.
Avoid drug use
This behavior correlates to the one above and the principle is the same: never engage in unhealthy practices or habits with your friends as it will only lead to embarrassing situations, addiction, or even worse.
Drug abuse can hurt friendships, as it can lead to a variety of problems such as financial strain, legal issues, and health problems.
If you want to improve your friendships and avoid drug abuse, there are a few things you can do:
- Educate yourself about the risks of drug abuse: Understanding the potential consequences of drug use can help you make informed decisions about your behavior and can also help you educate your friends about the risks.
- Set boundaries: It's important to establish and maintain clear boundaries when it comes to drug use. Make it clear that you are not comfortable with drug use and do not want to be around it.
- Seek out supportive friends: Surround yourself with friends who support your decision to avoid drug abuse and who are committed to living healthy, drug-free lives.
- Seek help if needed: If you are struggling with drug abuse or are worried about a friend's drug use, it can be helpful to seek support from a therapist or counselor. They can provide guidance and support as you navigate the situation.
By taking these steps, you can improve your friendships and avoid drug abuse, which can lead to a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Avoid toxic relationships
Friendships can often become toxic relationships. A toxic friendship is a relationship in which one or both individuals engage in behaviors that are harmful to the other person.
These behaviors can include manipulation, control, disrespect, or a lack of empathy. Toxic friendships can be emotionally draining and can harm your well-being.
They can leave you feeling drained, unsupported, and even depressed.
Some common signs of a toxic friendship include:
- Constant criticism or negativity
- Manipulation or control
- Lack of respect for your boundaries
- Disregard for your feelings
- One-sided support or a lack of support
- A tendency to put you down or make you feel bad about yourself
If you are in a toxic friendship, it may be helpful to seek support from a therapist or counselor. They can help you navigate the situation and find healthy ways to cope.
Avoid having sexual relationships with your friends
They are your friends, not your lovers. Don't forget that!
One of the most favorable practices when it comes to friendship is always respecting the fact that you are friends, nothing more, nothing less.
Having a sexual relationship with a friend can complicate and potentially jeopardize the friendship. If you want to maintain a close friendship without a sexual relationship, here are a few things you can try:
Set boundaries
It's important to have clear boundaries in any relationship, including friendships. Communicate your boundaries with your friend and make it clear that you want to maintain a platonic relationship.
Avoid situations that could lead to intimacy
Be mindful of the situations you put yourself in with your friend. Avoid spending too much time alone together or engaging in activities that could lead to physical intimacy.
Talk about it
If you're feeling attracted to your friend and are worried about ruining the friendship, it's important to communicate your feelings with them. Have an open and honest conversation about your boundaries and the importance of maintaining a platonic relationship.
Seek support
If you're struggling with feelings of attraction for a friend, it may be helpful to talk to a therapist or a trusted friend or family member about your feelings.
Remember, it's okay to have feelings for a friend, but it's important to respect their boundaries and the relationship you have. If you're not sure how to navigate these feelings, it can be helpful to seek support from a therapist or trusted confidant.
Don’t bully others
Bullying someone else because you feel like it is wrong and it won't bring any good to anyone. It will only cause pain to others as well as put them in unnecessary embarrassing situations. Bullying is a very unhealthy practice and this behavior correlates to violence and a future bad reputation as well as extremely negative effects of friendship on every involved party.
Finally, you have to know that these tips are just guidelines for improving friendships. You may find yourself needing to change some of them depending on what works best for you.
So, use this list as a guideline and keep experimenting until you find something that works for you.
Also, keep in mind that as every person is different, you might find yourself with some unexpected adverse outcomes. If that's the case, then don't worry because you can always go back to the previous practice that worked for you.
Now, let's move on to some of the most common questions we receive about how to improve friendships.
Frequently Asked Questions
We often receive many questions about how to improve friendships. Here are some of the most common ones:
Is it difficult to improve friendships as an adult?
It can be challenging to improve friendships as an adult, but it is not impossible.
As we get older, we often become busier with work, family responsibilities, and other commitments, which can make it difficult to find time for friends.
Additionally, we may have different priorities or interests as adults, which can make it harder to connect with others. But, if you follow all the tips we provide you with, you should be able to improve your relationships with friends.
How do I start improving my friendships?
The first step towards improving your friendships is to recognize that they need improvement.
This means that you must acknowledge that there are things you can do to improve your relationships with your friends.
Once you've acknowledged that your friendships need improvement, you'll want to take action by making changes to your life. Engage in activities that will help you build stronger connections with your friends.
Remember, you can always read again this article whenever you need to, and you will see that there are many ways to start to improve friendships.
What if I'm having trouble connecting with my friends?
If you're struggling to connect with your friends, it can be hard to figure out why.
One reason why people struggle to connect with friends is that they don't understand each other. When you don't understand another person, it makes it easier to distance yourself from them.
Sometimes, even though you think you have strong friendships, you still struggle to connect with others. In those cases, you may need to try new strategies to reconnect with your friends.
You could also ask your friends for advice on how to improve your relationship with them.
They may be willing to share their experiences with you so that you can learn more about how to improve your friendships.
Can I repair a damaged friendship by becoming a better friend?
To repair a damaged friendship, try to apologize for any mistakes you may have made and be open to hearing the other person's perspective.
Show that you are willing to make an effort to improve the relationship and be patient as you work through any issues. You can't force someone to forgive you but if you're truly sorry for your actions, then it will go a long way in repairing the damage done.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you want to learn how to improve friendships, know that it'll take time and effort. However, once you get started, you'll see results quickly.
To improve friendships, it's important to be reliable and trustworthy, be a good listener, show interest in your friends' lives, and be supportive and encouraging.
Maintaining friendships can be challenging as we get older, but by making time for our friends, staying in touch, seeking out new friendships, and being open and honest, we can strengthen our connections and foster meaningful relationships.
By taking these steps, we can improve our friendships and enrich our lives.
We hope after reading this article you've learned some things about how to improve friendships and that you now have a better idea of how to do so. Remember, there are no shortcuts to success and you must be willing to work hard to achieve your goals.
So, start today by taking action and making a plan to improve your friendships. Good luck!
