Relationships are crucial to helping us enjoy life and grow as individuals. Cultivating lasting, loving friendships takes time and effort. However, it’s worth it in the end because they’re there for you in both the good and bad times. Here’s how to build friendships you will keep for life.

Friendship is a mutual relationship developed between two or more people. You’ll recognize a true friendship because this person/people push you to be yourself. They accept you for everything you are and are by your side no matter if you show a dark side to your character. Aside from this, they also encourage us to become better people and advise us through difficult segments in our lives.

Friends give you their time and attention. They’re there for you when you most need them – through the good and the bad. A healthy friendship means that you share beautiful moments of your life with people you care about and who genuinely care about you. Not only are friends fun to have, they're also a part of a fulfilling, healthy life. The moments you enjoy will be all the more special with people with whom you share them.

Before we talk about how to build friendships, let’s discuss why they’re important. Having a strong friendship is healthy because it keeps our physical and mental health strong. Developing solid friendships in our life even helps to promote brain health. Friends help us deal with stress and make better lifestyle choices which keeps us strong and happy. It’s equally as important to build friendships for our mental health. Spending time with positive people can actually change our outlook to improve our well-being.

Having friends doesn’t completely cure loneliness, but they certainly help us through lonely times. Think of some painful times in your life when your friends were there for you. Without their love and care, would you have got through it quite the same? Keeping a steady stream of friends reminds us that each one brings something special to our lives. It’s healthy and reassuring to know that people will be by your side no matter what.

Another important factor of having friends is that they inject meaning and happiness into our lives. Most of the time we spend with these people, we laugh and love like never before. With genuine, positive people in your life, you begin doing nice things for others and create a mindful of gratitude to the rest of the world.

Now that we’ve discussed what a friendship is and why it’s important to develop healthy ones in our life, let’s talk about how to build friendships. Perhaps you’re feeling a little lonely in your life, or seeking more friends to expand your circle. Here are some tips created to broaden your choices.

Whilst searching for friends, you should also consider what kind of friend you are. It’s important that you’re loyal and honest to people, and don’t just say things for approval from others.

Before you consider heading out into public to meet new friends, it’s important to start with yourself. The reason many of us are shy is because we haven’t yet learned to love ourselves. Spend more time with yourself and build your self-worth up. By doing so, you limit your chances of feeling scrutinized and begin to appreciate you for who you really are. To find genuine people who will love you, firstly you must be authentic. Avoid trying to change your personality to be accepted by other people, because they need to see the real you.

One of the most popular circumstances to build friendships is to take a dog for a walk. You’d be surprised at how often other dog owners talk to you just because of your furry friend. There’s a sense of community and connection as you and others have a pet, so much so that people will smile and greet you just because of it.

Introduce yourself to the owner by allowing the dogs to sniff and you can strike up conversation. Ask general questions about their dog, or perhaps their day. This is a great way to ease yourself into learning how to build friendships with little pressure.

If you don’t have a dog, why not volunteer at a dog-walking club? Doing so will get you out of the house and interacting with people, as well as performing a good deed for animals.

Getting fit isn’t easy, but surrounding yourself with like-minded people adds more motivation and energy to your life. By joining a fitness group, you’ll meet plenty of people on a regular basis and get to interact with them often. Friendships are built by small-talk which happens on a regular basis. Consider that nobody knows anything about you, so it’s important you exude positive energy. Standing in the corner by yourself isn’t a helpful way to make friends. However, interacting in a group is a sure way. A warm smile and introduction to the person next to you helps to strike up a conversation.

As people get busy and move on in life, we often lose touch with people who were once close friends. Rekindle your relationship with an old friend by inviting them out for a drink. Explain that you’ve missed their company and wanted to see how life was treating them. This is one of the least awkward ways on how to build friendships, because you already have a solid backstory of the person.

One thing is for sure, you won’t learn how to build friendships if you’re hiding indoors. It’s important that you get out of the house more to improve your chances of meeting new people. Head to your local pub for a drink and stand at the bar. Interacting with the bartender and striking up friendly conversation with the person next to you is another way to learn how to build friendships.

Leave your phone at home and take a stroll around the block. You’ll be amazed at how little we interact with people because we’re on our phones. By encouraging yourself to look at faces rather than a screen, you increase your chances of building friendships. Limit online shopping and head to local shops and stores to interact with people rather than through social media. Meeting up with your current friends and even just calling them is a positive way to become more open and confident around new people.

Hiding behind a phone isn’t a genuine process to make friends. It’s very easy for people to say what you want to hear, or hide their emotions behind emojis. However, it’s acceptable to meet people through social media, but we recommend that you get to know them in person. Invite them for a takeaway, a drink in the pub or to a gathering. The best way to see the authentic version of someone is in person. Check that your current friends are there for you in real life too, and not just behind a screen giving you advice.

We all need positive people in our lives – not just to get us through hard times, but to interact and laugh with. With billions of people in the world, nobody deserves to feel lonely. We encourage you to walk around with a smile more, say hello to a stranger and make conversation with a neighbour. Avoiding awkwardness means you’ll have less friends, so embrace the fear and strike up a conversation.

Do you have any tips on how to build friendships? Share your thoughts and advice in the comments to keep this conversation going.

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