5 Simple Practices to Restart Your Pandemic-laden Relationships With Friends and Colleagues
Let’s be honest, 2020–21 were not great years for us to stay connected with all of our friends and colleagues. Friendship is a major part of our lives. We can’t thrive without our friends and every one of the memories we share together. Use these 5 simple practices as a self-evaluation checklist to grade yourself on your relationship proficiency.
Our friends are the people we run to once we have good news or need a shoulder to cry on. At the same time, they’re also some of the people we can take for granted most in our lives. If your friendships appear to be in troubled waters, here are five great practices to help you get them reinvigorated.
In this hi-tech day and age, we’re all busy doing our thing and living our lives. But that shouldn’t mean you allow your friendships and colleague relationships to deteriorate. You’ll be sorry when you truly need them.
There are many approaches you can do to remain close to your friends despite your busy work/family schedule. After all, it was Honest Abe who said, “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.” We understand much your friendships mean to you. So, I am proposing five simple practices to restart any of your waning relationships with friends. Pick the one or ones that you know will resonate best with them. When in doubt, any one of them will be better than doing nothing.
The 5 Simple Practices
- Keep in Touch
Every friendship is different. Some friends you’ll see weekly, while you’ll only catch up with other friends every other month. Nothing is quite as great as spending some quality time together with your friends. However, it’s not always easy to schedule frequent get-togethers. Luckily, there are ways to keep the friendship strong in the meantime.
Simple things like dropping a 30-second text with a “how’s your day going?” or a smiley emoji. Then, several days later, once you have time, send an email asking them about their week. Entice them to respond. Technology may have its drawbacks. But when it involves keeping people connecting, it does a reasonably good job.
2. Remember Important Dates
This should be a no-brainer, albeit your friend doesn’t make a big deal about their birthday, or their wedding or work anniversary. It’s important that you simply send them an acknowledgment, a small token, a card, or maybe a funny GIF. People appreciate it when friends take just a little time of their day to let them know they are thinking about them. Again, technology helps us out in this department. Use the Google or Outlook Calendar feature for birthdays. Then, to be extra vigilant, set a reminder every week beforehand so you’ve got time to arrange your GIF. Simple!
3. Be a Good Listener
We often get trapped in our own world. We’re want to express our point of view and feelings, yet we frequently neglect the emotions of others. To establish enduring friendships, you’ve got to connect with your friends and respect their opinions. Ask open-ended questions and truly focus on what your friends are saying. This is often one of the simplest ways to say I appreciate you and to build an enduring bond.
Equally important is maintaining good eye contact. Avoid holding your phone and nodding your head the entire time they’re talking. You also should acknowledge your friends’ feelings and wishes. Be more empathetic than sympathetic to their situation and be willing to engage at a deeper level when needed.
4. Open Up
Share exciting news with your friends, this boosts the value of the events in your life. Having special people’s support enriches your life and it can make it special for them as well. It also promotes trust and provides the opportunity to share and gratitude. Conversely, you should also share problems and challenges with your friends. There’s usually no question that your true friends will appreciate your willingness to open up and share. They’ll be happy that you simply put your trust in them, a bit like they did once when they needed a shoulder to cry on and you were there for them. Most people feel great when they can help someone else. Everyone likes having a support system, and your friendships will grow stronger because of it.
5. Just Do Something Nice
One way to show your appreciation and love for your friends is to try to do something nice for them. It’s a great way to show that you value their friendship. We guarantee you’ll have a rewarding time and make great memories in the process. Then, whenever you need some help, you’ll find your friends are there for you.
Here are a few ideas to assist you to get started:
• Genuinely compliment their skills or judgment
• Make it a celebration when they get a raise or a promotion
• Help them with a task you know they have been avoiding
• Fix something that is broken or needs attention
Key Takeaways
Research has shown that personal relationships are vital for our continued happiness, health and success. Look at a person who’s happy and successful and you’ll discover that they have maintained meaningful friendships throughout their lives. Yet, because we’re so busy, we sometimes prioritize tasks and deprioritize time for our friends.
I hope that these five simple ways to restart your relationships with friends will guarantee that that never happens, no matter how hectic your schedule is. Friends and close colleagues are a precious gift. So, make the most of even the smallest moments and show some gratitude for having them in your life. Remember the Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Pick up the phone for a call, type a text, or send an email. Your small sacrifice of time may make a big difference to the recipient.
Dr. Kevin Gazzara — is a senior partner and founder of Magna Leadership Solutions, based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the co-author of “The Leader of OZ” www.leaderofoz.com and Ready, Set, Get Hired. He is an international speaker and recognized as a Management & Leadership Expert and a Certified Positive Intelligence Executive Coach. Kevin is a professor at 5 Universities developing and teaching programs to help others achieve their full potential. You can follow Kevin and Magna Leadership Solutions on our website: www.magnaleadership.com, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorkevin or our Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/MagnaLeadership
We would be excited to speak with you about your current leadership challenges. Please click here to connect with me: https://Magnaleadershipkevin.youcanbook.me
If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, we encourage you to share your thoughts with us and our readers in the comments below.
Thank you,
Dr. Kevin Gazzara
Senior Partner at Magna Leadership Solutions
