One of the most impactful yet straightforward things in my life is speaking and being with my friends and family. After spending some time speaking with my family or friends, I noticed that I would feel happier, my recovery in WHOOP would be better, and I would feel more refreshed in the morning following sleep. This blog post will come entirely for me on how great or terrible friends and family can make you feel and some ways that you could enhance your experience with those you care about.
What Is My Number One Advice?
There was a time when I felt lonely despite having so many friends and my family around me. I believed that none of the connections was significant, and I did not know what to speak about. I suffered emotionally and felt that my friends and family had to remedy that. After reframing my interactions with friends and family to having as much fun as possible to make myself feel better, the interactions became more enjoyable. I also spent some time working on myself to cope with anxiety or stress without having to rely on other people. By doing this, I changed what speaking with friends and family meant to achieve, which completely changed my interaction with them. You cannot rely on other people to always make you feel better, but you can try your best to make any interaction as fun as possible no matter the situation. This does not mean it needs to be reserved for friends and family. You can try to have fun with any person you interact with, and by doing so, you may even make that strangers day.
What Can You Speak About?
In coming up with things to speak about, I find that it is easiest to do an activity. That way, you can talk about what you are doing with those you care about. You may get familiar with how they speak and behave, giving you clues on what to talk about when you are not doing the activity. You can talk about hobbies and past experiences, favorite foods, ask questions about them, you can speak about goals or dreams you both have in life, and you could ask about clothes or jewelry. Most people enjoy speaking about themselves, but it is important to remember that you need to give enough information about yourself if they ask. If you do not provide information about yourself, it would be hard for them to get to know you better, and they may feel like the relationship only balances on them. No person is the same, but these general rules can help facilitate a conversation until you know them well enough to speak without overthinking.
My Recommendations About the Amount of Friends
It is good to have at least a few extremely close friends and family members that you can speak to frequently. With close friends, you speak about daily things you find exciting or common hobbies that you guys have (daily to weekly). I have found that I also have around 10 – 15 friends that are not as close where we reach out to each other sometimes to hang out and catch up but do not speak for a few months. Social media also provides a platform for people to connect with each other’s posts if they enjoy doing things like these. I do not speak to many family members that frequently, but I talk to them on calls and spend tons of time with them when I visit. The critical thing to remember is that you should always try to have fun and make the most of your interaction with any person. In addition to dealing with anxiety yourself and not relying on others to appease your feelings, you are on the right track to having some great relationships in your life.
We Are Social Animals, So Take Advantage!
Humans are social animals, so it is essential to have some friends you can speak to and have fun with. While I am busy most days, I always can find time to hang out with my friends. Depending on your mentality of what friends should be, they can be the source of great joy or great sorrow. I hope hearing my experiences and some tips help you form deeper connections with friends and family. They honestly give me so much happiness, which severely reduces my stress, so I hope you can experience the same thing
