We all need friends to help us celebrate good times and offer support during bad times. Friends prevent us from loneliness and isolation as well as increase our sense of belonging and purpose.
Maybe you’ve been approaching friendship as an ordinary topic that makes TV shows and movies a little interesting. But the truth is, the benefits of friendship stand out as friendship is beautiful and adds immense vibrance to our lives.
Not having friends can be your life’s biggest regret. While you may argue that lost friendship is not as important as romantic relationships, loss of friendship is equally painful and regrettable.
Read more about top 5 regrets upon dying by Bronnie Ware here.
Friendship thrives on connections and conversations. Conversations and connections help us see the world differently and inspire life’s positive outcomes.
Benefits of Meaningful Friendships
Meaningful friendships are friendships that benefit your well-being. Meaningful friendships can be a great way to boost your self-esteem, improve your mood, and offer you the support you need. Having positive friends can decrease loneliness and encourage the best out of every situation.
Friends can help you build the self-confidence needed for success in most areas of life. Negative feelings affect our sense of self-esteem, therefore, having positive friends around you can help you deal with emotions such as sadness and anger before they can overwhelm you.
Friends can leave you feeling happy and more energized. Friends will light up your day by helping you recover from difficult situations faster and this is why spending time with friends is good for your mental health.
Positive friends will help you achieve more success in life as they are good at living life to the fullest. They make you feel good about yourself and this can motivate you to try harder when things get tough.
How to Make Friends
Making friends can be intimidating but it’s rewarding in the long run. If you haven’t been socializing, start small with people you know. Reach out to acquaintances and see if you can reconnect.
Consider joining an established group of friends, getting to know friends of your friends, and start accepting invitations to go out.
Once you reconnect with people you know, it’s now time for you to get out and connect with people you don’t know. Join meet-up groups, attend workshops, go to parties, or make friends online by joining online communities.
Once you are out to make friends, be the first one to make the move. Start by saying hello and get to know each other a little bit more. More meaningful friendships will come to you if you remain open-minded, trust, believe in the goodness of others, and connect genuinely
Final Thoughts
Meaningful friendships require maintenance to last longer. Make an effort of staying in touch with friends because this is what sets apart great friends from hi and bye friends. Once in a while ask your friends out. However, meetups should not happen weekly or after a few days. Meaningful meetups should happen within a month or even after a couple of months. If you both have engagements, find time for each other over lunch, tea, or dinner.
