How to Be a Better Friend

Having healthy and meaningful relationships is essential for our happiness. While it’s common for people to focus on improving their romantic relationships, those are not the only ones that matter. Friendships are just as important but, unfortunately, they are often overlooked.

So, if you’ve neglected your friends lately, it’s time for a change. After all, who was there for you when you suffered from a broken heart? Who do you share some of your best memories with? 

Keep in mind that friendships also require consistent effort. While life often gets in the way, it’s important to make time to nurture our relationships and give them the attention they deserve.

Here are some tips on how to become a better friend:

Listen More, Talk Less

Being a good listener is harder than you think. Most of the time people are just waiting for their turn to speak, either to talk about their own problems or to expose their point of view. 

If you truly want to be a good listener, you need to practice active listening. That means that you need to pay attention to what the other person is saying instead of analyzing your own thoughts. You need to learn to listen to understand, not to reply. So, try to see things from the other person’s perspective, make sure you don’t interrupt them, and ask questions when there is something you don’t understand. By doing this, you will show the other person that you care about them and they will be more willing to open up to you.

Also, you need to keep in mind that friendship is a two-way street. That’s why you need to make sure that you have a balanced dialogue. So, if you feel like you’re the one doing most of the talking, it’s time to give your friend some space to share their thoughts. 

Check-In on Your Friends

In today’s busy life, it’s easy to lose touch with your friends. Don’t do that.

You don’t have to live in the same neighborhood, city, or even country with your friends to be emotionally present for them. Sometimes a simple text or call can work wonders for your relationship. 

So, even if you are busy, try to make time to check in on your friends from time to time. Ask them about their lives, keep them updated about what’s going on in your life, and show them that your friendship is still a priority for you.

Celebrate Their Achievements

Whether it’s a professional achievement, a new car, or a personal milestone, make sure you’re there for your friends to celebrate both the small and the big wins with them. Show them that their success makes you happy and that you support them.

Also, even if your friend doesn’t consider their accomplishment a big deal, make sure that you make them feel special and valued. This will not only help you improve your relationship but will also boost your friend’s confidence. Many people struggle with low self-esteem, so seeing that others support and appreciate them could make a huge difference.

Be More Empathic

Empathy means being able to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person. Basically, you need to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and make an effort to see things from their perspective. It is an essential quality for building healthy and meaningful relationships.

To be a better friend, you need to stop projecting your thoughts and experiences on others. People can react differently to the same experiences, and that is okay. They might not always act as we expect them to, and that is perfectly fine. Everyone is different and, to cultivate truly meaningful relationships, we need to embrace our differences instead of expecting everyone to act the same.

If you would like to find out more about how to become more empathic, check out this article.

Hug Your Friends More Often

Did you know that hugging reduces social anxiety, alleviates our fears, and deepens our relationships?

Hugging is one of the best ways to make someone feel better, express your love, and offer support. The positive effects of this simple gesture are so great that we should definitely hug our friends more often. 

Unfortunately, in today’s hyper-connected world, we are more disconnected from each other than ever. Don’t underestimate the power of physical touch and hug your loved ones in real life whenever you have the chance. Sending hugs through text messages is not enough.

Final Thoughts

I hope the tips above will help you develop healthy and long-standing relationships. Keep in mind that romantic relationships are not the only ones that need nurturing, and you also need to treat your friends as a priority in your life.

If you’re looking to find out more about how to be a better friend, I recommend you to join the Beautiful You community. You’ll get the chance to connect and share thoughts with other amazing women while receiving regular tips on how to improve your lifestyle. Download the app today!