In this episode I’d like to talk about making and keeping friends as an adult—and joining me to chat about this is one of my good friends, Chavonne McClay, who is a licensed clinical social worker at Unabridged Counseling and Coaching here in New Mexico. I’m so excited to explore this topic, so let’s dive in!
OK, first and foremost, let’s get something out there that may not be well-known or understood: Friendships are often really tough to form and maintain for most adults—yet they are so important to our mental and physical health, perhaps now more than ever. Why? Because study after study has shown that up to 70% of your overall well-being comes from relationships. In fact, research has shown that a lack of friends is not only a common problem for today’s adults, it may actually be killing us.
But why don’t we talk more about it? Maybe it’s because we blow it off and don’t want to worry about this kind of stuff when we’re so busy with the mountain of tasks and priorities that come with adulthood—like paying the bills, putting food on the table, raising kids, taking care of your home and family, advancing your career … and oh yeah, sleeping and exercising, if you can manage to squeeze those in!
And I get it… it makes sense that friendships from when we were kids or in school will eventually take a back seat to some of these other areas of our lives—but they shouldn’t disappear entirely. And this is what’s happening! So we’ve got to talk about it if we want to curve the trajectory of increasing loneliness and unhappiness in our society.
Of course, talking alone won’t solve the problem. So the question remains: What can we do about it? Well, in this episode we review four simple and effective tips—inspired by some of our favorite songs about friendship—to get you started on the path to more meaningful, fulfilling friendships at any age. Plus, as a bonus for joining the #Back2LifePodcast community today, I’m including a free PDF with all these tips packaged in a nicely designed, downloadable and printable format—so you can keep this info wherever you want and access it easily when you need a reminder or some encouragement.
Get your free downloadable copy of the “Tips for Healthy Friendships as an Adult” booklet!
Here’s a quick overview of the 4 tips for healthy adult friendships discussed in this episode:
1. You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Take a moment to think on what a good and healthy friendship actually looks like. Healthy friendships are not one-sided. A friend should be someone you choose to have in your life because he or she enriches your experience and allows each of you to grow and change. True friendship does not change with the weather, tells the truth, brings out the best, has mutual respect, and is a part of your life, not just your conversations.
2. Thank You for Being a Friend
Reconnecting with old friends or rekindling those “dormant” relationships is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get more active, positive friendships (back) in your life. Who do you think of often but rarely actually reach out to?
