It is an unfortunate fact of life that there will always be a period of time when you feel lonely and isolated. It is in these moments of need that good friends are there to help you through and get back to the good times. However, not everyone is lucky enough to always have friends to call on, and this is a lot more common than you might think and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. To help you get back out into the world and making strong, healthy friendships with new people, this quick guide will give you the knowledge you need to succeed. There are essentially three steps you need to take; taking care of yourself, learning how to be a good friend and making time for new people. Once you have aced these three steps you will have the tools to make friends and have a happier life starting from today.
Taking care of yourself first
It is a complete lie that other people can only start loving you once your love yourself, however, being proactive in taking care of your needs and problems can take the unneeded stress out of forming friendships and contribute to their longevity. Epiphany Sober Living is one website you should visit if you have found that your struggle with substance addiction.
It can also help with issues such as alcoholism if this has been the main barrier in the way of you maintaining great friendships. Making the commitment to go on a residential treatment course to help you kick the habit for good is one of the easiest ways to make making friends a breeze.
Similarly to this, if you have has struggles with your mental health, investing some time and money into talking to someone professional and exploring the potential option of medication with a doctor can help you to better be able to cope with your issues and be more social in the long run.
The best you can be
This might seem unnecessary, but reminding yourself of how to be a good friend is always a good thing to do to make great first impressions to new people:
- Always ask how your friend is and listen with genuine interest
- Always own up to your mistakes
- Understand and respect their boundaries
- Be honest with them- always
- Introduce them to new people/ make new friends together
- Learn about their interests and what matters to them
- Be dependable, punctual, and keep your promises
Making the time
The last thing you need to know is what fun things there are to do with new friends once you have made them. Spending quality time together is one of the best ways to make a relationship strong and last for years to come, so having some ideas in your mind about things you can do together will get you off on strong footing. For example:
- Go to the cinema together
- Get lunch or got on a coffee date
- Join an evening class or book group together
- Go out dancing on a night out.
Together, these points can help you build meaningful friendships to last a lifetime.
