Would you agree that true friends are not easy to come by? In fact, genuine friends are even harder to find.
Therefore, making friends is not an easy task. That’s why it’s extremely important for you to put in the effort to keep your friendships alive.
There are too many of us running around with Frenemies mistaking them as real friends.
Surrounding yourself with people who don’t really like you or that you have love-hate relationships, can be dangerous for obvious reasons.
Get rid of those fake friends and nurture the relationships that you have with your real friends.
Today, you’re going to discover 9 Tips For Bonding With Friends to help you build strong relationships that can last for a lifetime.
Let’s get going…
1)) Smile More
You know from your own experiences that a simple smile engages, attracts, and brings your friends closer to you.
If you’ve ever spent time around a person that’s always frowned upon, you tend to avoid that individual.
People that walk around frowned up usually repel instead of attracting others to them.
Smiling is naturally contagious and people love being greeted by a happy face.
When you smile around your friends, you transmit joy and happiness to them.
Sometimes your smile is what your friends need to lift them up, especially if they’re going through a rough patch in their lives.
It also symbolizes the appreciation you have for your friendships with them.
On the flip side, a smile from your friends may be just what you need to lift your spirits.
Don’t underestimate the power of a smile!
2)) Address by Name
Your parents may have taught you that whenever you meet people, always address them by their names.
Addressing someone by their name indicates your interest in establishing a friendship with that person.
It shows you are interested in building a relationship, and they will usually reciprocate if there’s chemistry.
Remember, the most important word to a person is their name.
Addressing your friends by their names can build stronger bonds without you even realizing it.
Give it a try and then gauge the results.
3)) Relax a Little
Try your best to relax when you’re around your friends because this will make them feel comfortable in your presence.
When you and your friends are comfortable around each other, the closer you’ll become.
That’s just how it works.
And from there, your relationships will blossom and take on a life of their own.
4)) Communicate for Understanding
When you communicate with your friends, ask questions that will help them to open up and start talking.
Be mindful, and never ask questions that are too personal in nature.
This can cause them to feel uncomfortable around you and can make them find an excuse to walk away.
Communication is key to understanding how your friends feel and getting to know them better.
The more you get to know your friends, the more they’ll trust you.
As a result, you’ll build stronger bonds with them.
5)) Be a Good Listener
One of the crucial points in communication is listening and believe it or not, the majority of us are horrible at it.
You must challenge yourself to be a good listener when your friends are sharing their stories, feelings, and thoughts.
It takes practice to listen attentively and to respond appropriately.
You don’t all the time have to respond with words, sometimes using body language and gestures are more appropriate.
When your friends realize that you’re actually listening to them, they’ll open up and share even more about their lives.
When appropriate, repeat parts of what your friends are sharing with you or ask questions to create engagement.
Start listening more and engaging when appropriate, and watch how much you’ll learn about each other.
6)) Connect on Common Interests
It is always easy to make friends and maintain friendships if you have a common interest.
The smartest move you can make is to try to find common grounds where you can share common interests like hobbies, etc.
You can spend many meaningful hours or even days engaging with each other and sharing knowledge and information on common interests.
When you connect with your friends based on the things you’re interested in, there’s never a dull moment, and you’ll never run out of things to talk about or do.
Whenever you spend meaningful time together, bonding will naturally take place.
7)) Respect Differences in Opinions
Whenever there are people who share their opinions, differences in opinions may surface.
In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts, you must learn to respect the opinions of your friends.
When you and your friends are exchanging, this is a positive sign that both parties are willing to share ideas and thoughts that can be further explored, in which something new could be learned.
That’s collaboration at its finest.
Respect your friends’ opinions to avoid silly avoidable fallouts that could even destroy friendships.
If you don’t agree with something they say, respond appropriately, and don’t react harshly.
Simply, slow down, take a deep breath, and respect their opinions.
Doing that alone can draw you closer to your friends.
8)) Give Compliments
Always be generous with compliments. Give your friends compliments when appropriate without going overboard or sounding fake.
Seriously, who doesn’t appreciate compliments?
Even the folks that claim they don’t like them or feel uncomfortable receiving compliments, appreciate sincere positive feedback.
Tip: When you give your friends compliments, be very specific. For example; let’s say one of your friends was wearing some nice shoes. You’d say something like, “Your blue shoes really match nicely with your blacktop.”
Compliments can make your friends feel good about themselves, and even make their day.
9)) Be Social
It’s difficult to build lasting relationships if you don’t spend time with your friends. I know that distance can pose a real problem.
However, there are multiple methods that you can use to engage with your friends.
You can stay in contact using a landline phone, cell phone, text messages, email, video conferencing, mail, and physically in-person.
There are no excuses for not maintaining contact with your friends.
Meeting in person is not always possible due to our busy schedules and distance.
But, you do have other options for being social.
You should make every effort that you can to keep in touch with friends, whether using virtual methods or by inviting them to be part of any social functions such as Get-Togethers, BBQs In The Park, Trips, Restaurants, Family Outings, Charity Events, Jazz Clubs, Concerts, Parties, Various Outdoor Activities and etc.
Generally, people like to join social functions to meet friends and associates.
Remaining in contact with your closest friends is a must for building stronger bonds.
Conclusion
True friendship is truly priceless and you must do everything within your power to nurture those relationships that you value.
Have you heard older folks say, “In Your Life Time, You Should Be Able To Count The Number Of Friends You Have On One Hand?”
There’s a lot of wisdom in that statement.
What they mean is that not everyone is your friend and you need to determine who your true friends are beyond a shadow of a doubt.
You also need to determine who your Frenemies are, so that you can get rid of them or at the very least spend as little time with them as possible if the circumstances are complicated or you have to interact on some level.
In this article, I’ve provided you with 9 Tips For Bonding With Friends that you can begin implementing today.
Many of us have friends that treat us better than family, sad but true.
Those are the friends you must spend your time bonding with because they’ll be there for you through thick and thin.
Fight to keep your real friends in your life!
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