How do you become a better friend? There are many ways to become a better friend, but how do you do that? I’m going to give you 7 tips on how you can become a better friend. If you’re already doing all these tips, then that’s great, you’re already a better friend than you thought. If not, then it’s not too late to start becoming a better friend.
1. Always be there
When your friend needs someone to listen to, and they go to you, that means they trust you and confide in you with anything. If you feel there is something off with your friend, such as not talking a lot, or not their usual self, make sure to ask what’s wrong. As Vincent Nguyen has stated:
“Some people are very good at hiding their negative emotions. Hopefully you’ve learned when they’re wearing a mask.”
Make sure to talk to your friend, be there for them, and just let them know you’re always here when they need it.
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2. Call just ’cause
You don’t need a reason to call someone, you can call just to hear their voice. I always call my friends not because I needed something, or someone to talk to, but just to hear their voice, catch up, and see how they’re doing. I’m not saying to call every day, but to call a few times a month or so. Since technology is so advanced, we tend to forget that texting isn’t as formal as calling someone. If texting didn’t exist, I’m sure we’d be calling our friends way more than we should have. I wouldn’t have put it better myself, but as Nico Lang puts it in his article:
“Call because that connection means something.”
3. Put your phones away
I know this may be hard to put your phones away when hanging out with friends, but it’s the best. You don’t want to distract yourself with all the social media while your friend is talking, do you? That’s quite rude if you ask me. There were times when I was talking to my friend, and he would be on the phone texting or whatever he was doing. I felt like I wasn’t being heard, even if it’s just a small conversation, but make every conversation worthwhile. Take out your phone only when you really need to, such as making a call to a family member, or emailing back an important email, not to check other people’s photos from Instagram, or how many followers you have on Twitter.
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4. Forgive
Sometimes it’s hard to forgive a friend after what they’ve done, whether it hurts so much, or little. As Nico states it:
“Forgiveness isn’t simple, and it needs to be earned.”
Forgiving someone is hard depending on what they have done, but it’s definitely something that can be earned again. Be open to listening to what they have to say and slowly let them know they have to earn your trust again.
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5. Honesty
Honesty and communication is the key to a good friendship. When you’re friends with someone, you don’t talk behind their backs. If you want a good friendship, you have to be able to confront them with things that are on your mind. Be honest, but make sure you are not rude such as saying, “Wow. I can’t believe you’re still dating him. Find someone else.” A good friend is supposed to be supportive, not rude. But being honest, say something like, “Why are you still dating him? You deserve someone a lot better. But I will continue to support you in your relationship with him.” Another thing is if you’re going out with your significant other, but your friend asked if you could hang out, don’t lie and say something other than the truth. As Beverly Kesse puts it:
“Try and be honest, if you can’t be somewhere, just tell them. Don’t lie and then be caught in that lie.”
You’re going to make the situation a whole lot worse by lying to your friend than being honest.
6. Respecting privacy
If your friend doesn’t want to talk about something, then maybe it wasn’t the right time for them to tell you. Just because you’re their friend, doesn’t give you the VIP pass to force them to tell you something they don’t want to. But instead, respect their privacy and let them know that you’re always there for them. They’ll tell you when it’s the right time.
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7. Being yourself
Don’t try to “fit” into a crowd you don’t feel comfortable in. If you’re pretending, then you’re not really a good friend because you’ve been deceiving your friend about who you really are. As Karla Jennings says:
“So many people never bother to show the world who they are because they fear judgment or rejection.”
Don’t be afraid of judgment or reaction, if you’re being judged, then they’re not your friends to begin with. Friends are honest, but not judging. They will like you for who you are.
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Conclusion
Overall, being a good friend isn’t about hanging out and talking, it’s about being there for your friend, let them be heard, respecting each other, being honest, forgiving, and so much more. If you have check-marked a lot of what I discussed, then you’re already a great friend! Give yourself a pat on the back. If you didn’t check mark all of what I discussed, it’s never too late to start being a good friend.
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