friendship – Step Ahead Life Coaching

Is Your Own Negativity Affecting Your Friendships?

You will find a lot of information online about how to eliminate negative friendships from your life. However, what if the source of negativity is coming from you?

It isn’t always easy to recognize when you are being negative. Some people have no idea how their negativity is impacting others. So, if your friendships have been suffering lately and you aren’t sure why, it could be down to your own mindset.

Here, we’ll look at how your own negativity could be affecting your friendships and what you can do about it.

Are You a Negative Friend?

It isn’t always easy to identify negativity in ourselves. Many people are unaware that they are projecting negativity onto others. So, how can you identify if you are a negative friend? Here’s a few signs to look out for:

You find it hard keeping friends
You make plans knowing you’ll cancel them
You don’t check in first or see how your friends are doing
Most conversations are about you
Your friends don’t seek you out for for emotional support

Now, some of these signs may not be down to your own negativity. For example, you may not check in first with your friends because it used to always be you initiating contact. In that case, you wouldn’t necessarily be a negative friend.

Many people find it hard to keep friends. However, if you generally find it easy to make friends and not keep them, there may be a problem. Assess your friendships, including those from the past. Is there a pattern and could it be down to your negativity?

Life gets busy and it isn’t always easy to keep in touch with friends. However, if you literally never contact anyone first, this is a sign you are a negative friend. Remember, friendships are a two-way street. Your friends need to know you care about them too.

Similarly, if you make plans knowing you’ll cancel them, and make all conversations about you, these are also negative friend traits.

The Impact Negativity Has on Friendships

So, why is it important to be a more positive friend? The main one is that negativity can literally kill friendships. After all, who wants to spend time with someone who is always negative. It brings down their mood, leading them to feel more depressed or drained after they have been around you.

Another way negativity impacts friendships, is that it is bad for the heart. Studies have shown that negative friendships affect our heart health. So, you could unintentionally be causing your friends health issues with your constant negativity. These are just some of the problems you can cause if you are a negative friend.

When you bring negativity into your friendships, you won’t have strong relationships. Healthy friendships are important for our health and wellbeing. So, if you do identify as a negative friend, now’s the time to start working on adjusting your mindset. It might not be easy; but, doing so will ensure you have much healthier and happier friendships.

Some Ideas on How to Improve Your Relationships With Friends

Friendship is a major part of our lives. We can’t exist without our friends and all the memories we share.

Our friends are the first ones we run to when we have good news or need a shoulder to cry on. At the same time, they’re also some of the people we take for granted most in our lives. If your friendships seem like they’re in troubled waters, we’re here to help.

In this hi-tech day and age, we’re all busy doing our thing and living our lives. But that shouldn’t mean you leave your friendships behind. There are many things you can do to stay close to your friends despite your busy work/family schedule. After all, it was Honest Abe who said, “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.”

ًWe know how much your friendships mean to you. So, we rounded up five simple ways to improve your relationships with friends.

Let’s get started.

Keep in Touch

Every friendship is different. Some friends you can see every week, while you can only catch up with other friends every other month.

Nothing is quite as great as spending some quality time with your friends. However, it’s not always easy to schedule frequent get-togethers. Luckily, there are ways to keep the friendship strong in the meantime.

Simple things like dropping a text with a ‘how’s your day going?’ or a smiley emoji. Then, several days later, when you have time, write out an email telling them about their week. Ask them to do the same.

Technology may have its drawbacks. But when it comes to keeping people connecting, it does a pretty good job.

Remember Important Dates

This should be a no-brainer. Even if your friend doesn’t make a big deal about their birthday. It’s important that you send a gift, a card, or even a funny GIF. People appreciate it when their friends take a little time out of their day to acknowledge them.

Again, technology helps out in this department as well. You can use Google Calendar to add in all the birthday dates. Then, to be extra vigilant, set a reminder a week in advance so you have time to organize a gift.

Be a Good Listener

We get caught up in our own world. We’re used to expressing our point of view and feelings that we often neglect the feelings of others.

To establish enduring friendships, you have to listen to your friends and respect their opinions. Ask open-ended questions and pay attention to what your friends are saying. This is one of the best ways you can build a lasting bond between you and your friends.

Equally important is maintaining eye-contact. Avoid holding your phone and nodding your head the whole time they’re talking.

You also need to acknowledge your friends’ feelings and needs. Be open to their suggestions and be willing to compromise at times.

Open Up

Sharing good news with your friends boosts the value of these events in your life. Having special people support you enriches your life and makes it more special. It also promotes trust and gratitude.

You should also share with your friends when you have a problem. Everyone likes having a support system, and your friendships will grow stronger because of it.

There’s no doubt your friends will appreciate your willingness to open up and share. They’ll be happy that you put your trust in them, just like they did when they needed a shoulder to cry on and you were there for them.

Do Nice Things for Your Friends

One way to show your appreciation and love for your friends is to do something nice for them. It’s a great way to show how much you value their friendship.

Helping your friends out is a great way to strengthen your friendship. Plus, we guarantee you’ll have a great time and make great memories in the meantime. Then, whenever you need some help, you’ll find your friends there for you.

To help you get started, here are a few ideas:

Compliment their skills or judgment
Throw them a celebratory party if they get a raise or a promotion
Help them set up a bookshelf
Fix a leaky faucet

The Takeaway

Personal relationships are vital for our happiness and health. Any person who’s happy and successful in their lives has several meaningful friendships in their lives.

Yet, because we’re so busy, we can sometimes take our friendships for granted. These five simple ways to improve your relationships with friends will guarantee that that never happens—no matter how hectic your schedule is.

Friends are a precious gift. So, make the most of even the smallest moments and show some gratitude for having them in your life.

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