4. Respect Boundaries:

One of the most difficult things in a true friendship is to respect the limits. Sometimes we get so close to the other person that we forget that they also have another life, friends, couples, and family, and no matter how close we are, we should never go beyond or interfere in places where we know we were not invited.

It is correct to give our opinion, advice or ask something even if it is indiscreet, but depending on the reaction of the other person we will learn how far.

Respecting boundaries is crucial to maintaining healthy friendships. In case of doubt, make sure to ask your friends what their boundaries are and respect them. For example, if your friend doesn’t like to talk about a certain topic, don’t push them to do so. Also, make sure to communicate your own boundaries clearly so your friends know what’s okay and what’s not.

5. Be Available:

Being available for your friends is an important part.

You always have to be very sincere and clear with your times and agenda. A good friendship understands that others can be busy and that it is not easy to abandon plans or commitments.

Regardless of that, make sure to make time for them, even if it’s just for a quick phone call or text. You can also plan regular get-togethers or activities to strengthen your bond and create new memories together.

Go to CityExperiences.com and look for plans you can do with friends. You do not need to purchase anything on the page. There is even the possibility that they do not have recommendations in your city but do not worry. The intention is that they give you ideas of all the things you can do and then we will organize them ourselves.

Show Empathy:

Showing empathy is harder than you think.

Many times you will see your friends make mistakes or be in situations that you would never put yourself in or think you have the perfect solution. Even in some cases you will want to criticize them for something they did or the way they are reacting at a certain moment.

Make sure to put yourself in your friend’s shoes and try to understand their feelings and perspectives. This will help you support them better and create a deeper connection.

The first thing you should do is realize that if your friends are in the situation they are in, it is because something led them to be there and often it is not their fault. You don’t have to understand or know why, just accept that they’re in a place they didn’t get into on purpose.

When you manage to understand that what they did or are doing is not done on purpose, it will be easier for us to start supporting them to solve it from their point of view and not yours.

Apologize When Necessary:

Apologizing when necessary. If you’ve hurt your friend’s feelings or done something wrong, make sure to apologize sincerely and take responsibility for your actions.

More important and the most common in these cases is when we do something with an intention and the other person ends up hurt or angry with us due to a misunderstanding or because things didn’t go as planned. The first thing is to understand that if our friend is angry or hurt it is for something.

If it wasn’t on purpose and if you did something that if they did it to you you wouldn’t care, that doesn’t matter. The point here is that they ended up hurt by something that we did and for the same reason they deserve a sincere apology even if it was not our intention or we do not share their opinion.

This will show your friend that you value their feelings and respect their boundaries.

Be Reliable:

Make sure to keep your promises and follow through on commitments.

If you can’t make it to a planned event or appointment, make sure to communicate it as soon as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.

As we have said on other occasions, unforeseen events happen and whether or not they cause inconvenience, if at the moment of the unforeseen event we take the trouble to notify them, they will continue to trust us.

“Don’t wait until your friend asks you to explain.”

Create Shared Memories:

Creating shared memories is a great way to deepen your connection.

You can plan a trip together, try a new activity, or simply spend time doing something you both enjoy. This will create lasting memories and strengthen your bond.

Now with this age of technology and social media, we are getting used to the fact that the only important moments worth creating are the ones that we can post and share with the world, but the reality is that those kinds of experiences rarely create a better connection more deep with our friendships.

We have to relearn how to give their place to the experiences and moments we have with our friends. A personalized frame, a diary, a photo or a story that is only about and for us. These details are going to make a difference in the long run.

Practice Forgiveness:

If your friend has made a mistake or hurt your feelings, he has to apologize to you regardless of whether it was intentional or not, but once he does it with good intentions, make sure to forgive them and move forward. Holding grudges or dwelling on past mistakes will damage your friendship and prevent you from creating new memories together.

Not only that, but we are able to let it go, we will always feel that he owes us something and the relationship would stop being balanced, which would end up affecting it.

Click here if you want to learn a small technique for forgiveness that implicate some meditation.