How To Nurture Your Best Friend Relationship
It is said that a best friend is loyal, dependable, trustworthy, reliable, respectable, and above all, a person whom you can enjoy spending your time with. Best friends add color and meaning to our lives. They make any situation that we could be going through bearable. You may not be able to see or talk to them every second. However, knowing that they are a phone call away is very comforting. They offer emotional help, companionship as well as practical help when we are in trouble. Believe it or not, research has linked having a reliable best friend to living a longer life.
Our taste in friends changes as we grow older in life. But you can have that one best friend that you grow old together. These are the recommended best friend quizzes that you can take to determine the strength of your friendships. Like with most relationships, a best friend relationship will require you to put in the effort as well as your time. Apart from taking such random quizzes, there are other practical steps that you can take to nurture a friendship that can serve you well into your old age. Here are some of those tips.
- Be a Best Friend: Imagine all the things that you would like to have in a best friend and work on nurturing those qualities in you. That may sound easy. However, some of the things that we require from our best friends can be a bit difficult. Cultivating those qualities for yourself can be helpful as you could get such attributes in return.
- Embracing Vulnerability: A friendship puts you in a place where you need to bare your soul to another person. This shows that you trust your friend by sharing your secrets as well as your fears. Your experiences may have taught you that it is better to hide who you are. This could be a result of being ridiculed or bullied because of how you looked, behaved, or your interest. This can prevent you from opening up. However, you can only connect with other when you show your vulnerability. Such an open relationship can serve you for many years to come.
- Be Present: Always show up for your friend when they are in need. This will create a strong bond with your friends when they know they can count on you. They will equally want to be there for you when you are facing any hardships.
- Communicate Effectively: Friendships can also benefit from genuine, honest communication. You will face situations where you may fail to agree or even fight. Always talk things out to resolve any tension. Do not bury issues under the rug every time you fight. A disagreement is a good opportunity to dissect the friendship and see what you need to retain and what you need to let go of. You may need to set up a few boundaries or let a few things go. Talking about such issues will strengthen the relationship and make you better.
- Meet Frequently: You can plan fun activities to do with your friend regularly, which will cement the friendship. You can choose activities such as bowling, swimming, skating, canoeing, hikes, or even read a book together. Not only will this create great memories that you can look back on at a later date, but you will also become closer and get to bond. During the meeting, you can share your secrets, or vent out your frustrations. You can even plan a business venture together. Well, a business can bring you even closer. If not, you can take a dancing lesson together and help each other achieve any personal goals.
Do not take your friendship for granted. Follow the recommended friend quiz to know where you stand.
