Our friends are important to us and we should absolutely do our best to show that. You could be sabotaging your friendships by doing these 7 things. The thing is, you might not even be aware you’re doing them. So it’s good to read this list and think it over to make sure you’re being the best friend you can. After all, you need your besties!
Do you have this habit? We all forget sometimes and I think any friend would understand that. The issue comes in when you rarely ever return a text or call. There may even be times when your friend is really upset and reaches out to you through a text or a call. Do your best to return them, especially the important ones.
Being a good listener isn’t always easy! Sometimes you’re excited and have things you want to share too. It’s hard to listen when you’re bursting at the seams with your own news. But this is a time you can make the choice to be a good friend. Be a good listener and share your news when it’s an appropriate time in the conversation.
My teenage daughter tells me that this is basic girl code. You just don’t date your friend’s ex. Of course, there can be exceptions, such as talking to your friend about it and knowing they’re okay with it. But if your friend is still really upset over the breakup and going through a lot of emotions, that’s not the time. Shift your focus to another handsome fella.
It’s absolutely okay to vent to your friends. That’s part of friendship - being there for each other on difficult days! What’s not okay is taking your moods out on your friends. Just because you’re feeling bad doesn’t mean they deserve to be treated badly. If you know that you’re taking your mood out on others then make the kindest choice and take some alone time until you get out of your funk.
Asking your girlfriend to go with you to shop for a bathing suit or hit the new sushi bar that just opened is fine. But steamrolling over anything she wants to do isn’t. Friendship is a two-way street, which is what makes it so special. Share what you’d love to do but be open to her preferences, too. This also has the benefit of giving you a chance to experience new things.
Asking for favors is fine! After all, what’re friends for? But if you’re constantly asking for favors, it can leave your friends feeling used. Make sure you’re giving as much as you’re taking. One way to do this is do special things for your friends that let them know how much you treasure them.
No one likes to be talked about. And it’s totally different if you’re talking about one friend to another because you’re both concerned about something they’re facing. That’s just the true heart of caring. But talking about them in a gossipy or backbiting way isn’t kind. Try to follow the motto of treating others how you want to be treated in friendships.
These are 7 things you might be doing that could cost you friends. Thankfully, you always have the choice to change. Are any of these something you could work on?