Healthy Friendships, Bonds That Help Us Grow

Each friendship is a world in which the people who make it up and their relationship live. There are those that we only relive from time to time, others that due to time or circumstances ended and those that help us grow because they exert as strength, support and support. They are healthy friendships.

This type of friendship is characterized by the fact that whoever builds it puts all their love in it, as well as respect and trust. They are craftsmen of good times, companions in bad days and inspirers of smiles. Let’s go deeper.

Characteristics of healthy friendships

Healthy friendships drive us to grow, motivate and evolve ; They function as that impulse that we sometimes need so much, but also as that listening that makes us feel understood and valued. Let’s see other of its characteristics:

• Honesty. Healthy friendships are also honest, that is, sincere, respectful, and fair. They do not have double intentions, nor is the interest in them prevailing.
• Assertiveness. Transmitting in the best possible way what you want to say is also one of its characteristics. These types of friends interact in favor of well-being.
• There are limits. Healthy friendships know how to say not because they do not act under the mantle of complacency, but of one who is distinguished by the balance and the good of the members that make it up.
• They build trust. Believing in the other is key in this type of bond. Forging the security of the relationship and casting off fear and prejudice are part of his priorities.

As we can see, healthy friendships are authentic. They allow us to show ourselves as we are. In this way, we feel free and we are able to share unique moments. Now, this does not mean that it cannot be discussed, but that when there are differences of opinion in some way, what prevails is the relationship and not convincing the other of the own point of view.

How to build healthy friendships?

Healthy friendships are the result of a set of efforts, values, and skills. Here are the most important ones:

• Acceptance. Accepting the other and ourselves is the basis of authenticity, that thread that, together with respect and tolerance, builds healthy relationships.
• Optimism. Downplaying complaints and judgments is essential in nurturing friendships. Like building a positive outlook.
• Assertive communication. Conveying what we want to say in the best way, be it an agreement or a disagreement, is key to relating well with others. Thus, the other can understand our point of view. Which avoids any kind of misunderstanding.

• I respect. Knowing how far we go and how far the other goes and understanding it, that is respect.
• Goodbye to the competition. It does not matter who achieves the most achievements or who reaches the goal first, but rather to grow, evolve, transform ourselves. Because life is not a career, but an adventure in which the greatest exponent is learning.
• Emotional management. Knowing how to handle our emotions helps us to be more assertive and increases our understanding of our behaviors and those of others. A great help to build healthy friendships.

Now, in addition to all these characteristics, we cannot forget that knowing each other is also important. Practicing self-knowledge helps us to manage ourselves and thus to be better people in the relationships we maintain with others.

What are the benefits of having healthy friendships?

There are many benefits to building healthy relationships. Among them, we can highlight the following:

• They promote happiness.
• They increase the sense of belonging.
• They decrease stress.
• They improve confidence.
• They cultivate authenticity.
• They bring positivity.
• They act as a good point of support.

It’s amazing what healthy friendships can bring us. What’s more, having them promotes healthy aging. In fact, this is what Otero Puime, Zunzunegui Pastor, François, Rodríguez Laso, García de Yébenes and Prous suggest in their article for the BBVA Foundation. In fact, they also claim that psychosocial networks and mechanisms built throughout life play an important role in healthy aging.

Specifically, they demonstrated the beneficial effect of having a confidant and the role of being an active member in friendly relationships. Hence, having healthy friends favors a better quality of life, especially in advanced ages.

Another important aspect in this type of friendship is its role as an antidote or pain reliever for our fears and anguish. So not only do they help us overcome obstacles thanks to their support, but they also favor our well-being.

It is wonderful to see how we can grow alongside friendships that nurture us and help us to be a better person.  Therefore, let us not stop valuing them, appreciating the time they dedicate to us and the love they give us.