Friendship has many positive effects on us. Changes our perception of the world to a more positive one. For example, when we look at a mountain with a friend, it is 20% flatter than if we looked at it ourselves - say the results of a psychological experiment. Moreover, this happens even when a friend is just standing nearby and looking in a different direction.

Life with friends is much happier than the life of a single person, because as studies show, relationships contribute 85% to our feeling of happiness, and the remaining 15% are all other factors.

There are a few simple ideas on how you can improve your relationships with friends.

1. Listen more, talk less

If you tend to constantly give advice, then this can destroy friendships faster than you think. The last thing people like is to receive free advice, even if you have only the best wishes in mind. Friends most often share their experiences with you simply so that you will listen to them, and do not educate them and give them valuable instructions on what to do. While listening, do not interrupt, although this is not easy. In our world where everyone wants to occupy our attention, giving our attention and giving a person the opportunity to be heard is a valuable gift. If your advice is really needed, your friend will definitely tell you about it.

2. Support and inspire, don't mock

“A kind word pleases a cat,” says a well-known saying. Science has proven that people are no exception. Encouraging words motivate to achieve results, but criticism, on the contrary, hinders - the result of American researcher Dr. David Conroy. Thank your friends and praise their strengths. Gratitude is a powerful force.

3. Make friends with people who are different from you

If your friends are your counterparts, then you are creating an environment that limits access to new experiences and ideas.

A truly good friendship is a friendship of dissimilar people.

Research shows that it is different people who enrich each other with new experiences and cope better with common tasks.

In order to overcome the primary barrier of otherness, show sincere interest in people.

4. Share your hobbies

Friends usually spend a lot of time together doing common activities. When people share each other's hobbies, it brings an even greater sense of belonging, joy and prolongs life.

Invite your friends to share your passion and participate in what your friends like - you will get a lot of bright impressions that will strengthen your relationship.

5. Build your boundaries

Only healthy relationships with established personal boundaries lead to trust. If you constantly allow a friend to violate your boundaries, without restoring balance, then such a relationship will soon cease to bring joy to both of you. Yes, it happens that you need to help a friend - but then the balance must be restored, and he helps you or vice versa. If the balance of “take and give” is disturbed, it is not much like friendship. To restore broken boundaries, you need to firmly say what is unacceptable to you. If a friend really values you, he will change his behavior.

A true friend will value your feelings and will not mock you, will keep his word and support you.

Be such a friend yourself and then it will be a pleasure to be friends with you. “Whoever wants to have friends must be friendly himself” is an old biblical principle. (book of Proverbs 18:24). To make an appointment with a psychotherapist online, click on the button below.

Take action and you will succeed!