What is a friend for you? We may all have different views on how to describe it, but we probably all agree that a good friend is someone we can always count on and with whom we have a deep relationship based on communication and trust.
Friendships help lower stress levels and fight off feelings of sadness and loneliness, and since we’ve all been through varying levels of social isolation over the past few years, it’s now extra important to (re)connect with like-minded individuals.
Having and maintaining strong friendships is therefore needed for our mental health and happiness. Do you feel like you need to refresh your social life? Let’s take a look at some tips.
Making New Friends
Make an Effort
This should be a no-brainer: for anything to be successful, you’ve got to put in the effort. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be surprised when things don’t work out as expected. The same applies to making new friends.
Make the commitment to make new friends and take action. Will this mean putting yourself out there in a way that may make you slightly uncomfortable sometimes? Yes, but it will be worth it. Plus, don’t judge others too early, it may take some time to actually get to know a person better, see it as digging to find a gem! How many of us have that close friend that we didn’t actually like when we first met them, but we now love? So be open! Be patient and willing to give them a chance.
Connect With Your Community
We all exist in some sort of community. Physically, we all live somewhere and have hobbies, jobs and other interests. Make the most of these communities when you’re looking to make new friends. If you’re kind, open and approachable, people around you (work colleagues, neighbours, etc.) will be more willing to get to know you better and spend time with you.
Online platforms such as Meetup are also a great place to find other people with similar interests, as well as groups on social media. Join a couple of groups, and even if you don’t engage right away, you’ll get a sense of people who like similar things. In our Facebook and Instagram pages, for example, you can easily find Brand Partners near you and around the world who are sharing your journey and will inspire you to reach your goals. Again, don’t prejudge and make your effort to interact.
If you are a Brand Partner, don’t forget you have an incredible extra opportunity at events to connect with like-minded people and make, not only a professional support network, but friends for life! For example, during March and April, three Infinitii events will take place locally in France, Spain and Italy. What a perfect chance to introduce yourself to others, exchange your contact and social media profiles and keep in touch!
Leverage Your Social Network
If you’ve been working hard to build your business, you know the importance of leveraging your social network already. We are more connected than ever, so why not use that to your advantage when building friendships?
If you notice a friend of a friend posting things that align with your interests — maybe you’re both into the same type of music, and you’ve been at the same concerts — ask your mutual friend to introduce you. The worst thing that could happen is them refusing, which isn’t the best but shouldn’t make you give up! As we said, good things take effort.
As you get to know your new friends, you may realise you have more in common than you thought. If that’s the case, they may also be interested in living a healthier, happier life. That’s the perfect time to tell them about your business and how it has worked for you. Who knows? They may join your team, and you’ll have even more opportunities to interact with them and grow together.
Reconnecting With Old Friends
Communicate
It may sound basic, but communication is key. If you don’t talk to your old friends, how will they know that you want to reconnect? Yes, some friendships stand the test of time, and you can go weeks or months without speaking and pick it right back up, but for most, you need to communicate.
You can start by text messaging or calling weekly, or even sending memes back and forth to give each other something to laugh about. Whatever communication method you prefer (when’s the last time you wrote a letter or a cute postcard?), act and be consistent.
Schedule Time
Life gets busier and busier as you get older. Gone are the days when you could play outside all day and only come inside for lunch or dinner. We have jobs, kids, PTA meetings, sports, you name it. If you want to strengthen your friendships, you need to carve out time.
Start by scheduling a weekly call (and adding a reminder on your calendar, so you don’t forget). Your effort goes a long way! It’ll show your friends that you care and want to continue the friendship, despite any obligations.
Be Present
Friendship isn’t just about having a good time all the time. It’s about being available when you need each other the most. Showing up for your friends is critical in maintaining a deep relationship. You’d want them to do the same for you, wouldn’t you?
Being available doesn’t always mean making grand gestures (okay, sometimes it may). Still, it could be as simple as sending a text to check on them when you know they’re having a difficult week or offering to bring them some soup (or order them some if you’re in different places) when they’re sick.
Whichever the case, if you’re friend knows you’re there for them, be sure your friendship will go a long way. Be a good friend to have good friends!
We hope these tips will help you connect with friends, new and old. As we said above, the key is to put in the effort, it’s in your hands.