Win Over Friends In These 7 Ways
Struggling to make friends?
Friends are one of the most treasured possessions. In an uncertain world, they supply a comforting sense of stability and connection. We laugh together and cry together, sharing our good times and supporting each other through the bad ones. They also help us handle stress, make better lifestyle choices. Friendship is also crucial to our mental health.
It is very correctly said that friends are the family we choose. I was an anxious and introverted kid since childhood hence it was difficult for me to make friends in school. With the following tips, I was able to make the best of friends.
- Be Genuinely Interested in Others:
Remembering a person’s name, asking them questions that encourage them to talk about themselves, their likes and dislikes help you discover their interests and passions. Author Dale Carnegie wrote in one of his famous books that one can make more friends in a span of two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than in two years by trying to get other people interested in them. This implies that you should listen 75% and pay attention to detail instead of speaking 25% of the time.
Smiling, knowing people’s names, praising people, making an effort to know their interests, and chat about them make people feel important.
- Be authentic:
Don’t change yourself for others. Just be confident and true to yourself. That way, people will know you as you, and they will use that to decide if they want to take the friendship a step ahead. It’s all about being you. The best friendships are built with both parties accepting each other for who they are.
- Shower them gifts and write thank-you notes:
Did they help you out of a situation? Did they lift your spirits when you were feeling low? Did they inspire you to be a better version of yourselves? Any of these things are worth a thank-you note. Pamper them with gifts every once in a while, to show how much you value them. My friend Ankita who moved abroad to continue her higher studies often tells me that she is reminded of me whenever she reads the books, I gifted her.
- Get vulnerable:
I remember the exact moment one of my co-workers became a real friend, and it provides a clue as to how to deepen friendships. We were out for coffee together, and I decided to admit to some struggles I was going through at work. She admitted having the same struggles and this shared experience drew us closer. This reminded me of the power of vulnerability for cementing a friendship.
- Connect genuinely:
Show warmth, love, and respect toward everyone you come across. Care for them as you would yourself. If you approach others genuinely, you will attract people who want to make genuine connections. Among them are your future true friends.
- Be there for them:
A friendship is a supportive partnership between two people. Be present for your friends when you can. Do they need help? Is there any problem you can assist them with? How can you better support them?
When you help your them, do not do so with the expectation of being helped in the future. Instead, help unconditionally. Treat them with emotional generosity. I personally believe that the satisfaction I get from helping others is a reward greater than anything I can get in return.
- Make the effort to stay in touch:
In the end, continual effort is necessary to maintain the friendship. Willingness to make the effort is what differentiates good friends from casual friends. If both of you have your own set of engagements, it may be hard to find time for each other. Arrange for a simple meetup, say over lunch, movie, or dinner time. Or you can always catch up over text messages, online chat, or phone calls, thanks to technology.
I hope you’ve found these 7 tips useful.
Sometimes it just happens we bond with people over a mutual love of Harry Potter or puppies, and next thing we know, we are meeting for weekly brunches. But other times it is harder. Whatever the circumstances, it’s important to keep going and not get discouraged. You can also seek advice from a trained relationship coach to get further clarification on this topic.
Ankita, whom we talked about earlier in this blog, had scheduled an appointment with a relationship coach at The Holistic Living and she changed that it changed her life drastically. She became more confident in herself and made so many friends in the new city. Also, check out their Wellness Store and Wellness Academy for wonderful products and informational blogs.
