The new year is here and many people like to start with a clean slate and goals in mind to improve their physical and mental well-being. For many, that鈥檚 working on friendships.
Get top headlines and 萝莉少女 reporting directly to your mailbox each week when you subscribe to In The NoCo.
An important part of anyone's complete well-being is having strong positive friendships. That鈥檚 true according to multiple medical organizations like the , which says, 鈥淧sychological research suggests that stable, healthy friendships are crucial for our well-being and longevity.鈥�
Recently, In the NoCo spoke with Dr. Natalie Pennington, an assistant professor of communications studies at Colorado State University and the co-lead of the American Friendship Project. An organization that studies connections in the U.S.
Here are some tips from that episode to help you better cultivate your friendships and fight off loneliness.
- Connect over multiple forms of technology. Texting is a useful day-to-day way to chat and send memes with friends, but don鈥檛 miss other opportunities to connect. According to research from the American Friendship Project, other technologies like a phone call can provide a better connection.
- Use caution when over-relying on video chats. It鈥檚 great to see someone face-to-face on a screen. However, research has found that once the call ends, the high from seeing a friend can quickly dissipate, leaving some to feel lonely. It鈥檚 important to find daily connections with other people in the world to combat loneliness, even if that鈥檚 short conversations with a barista or other people out in the world.
- Don鈥檛 take connection for granted. People should be mindful when connecting. Try building a routine. Dr. Pennington says the more comfortable you get spending time with people the better.
- Don鈥檛 overthink it. Assume your friends like you. Unlike family or some romantic relationships, friendships can feel very voluntary, but don鈥檛 worry. Simple check-ins to say hi or bring someone a coffee can go a long way.
- Merge your New Year's resolutions. If one of your goals for 2025 is to work on your friendships and become smarter financially, take advantage of that. Spend time with friends who are good with money. The same goes for those looking to improve their physical health and have friends who enjoy going to the gym.
- Reconnect without overthinking it. If you haven鈥檛 spoken to someone in months or even years, you don鈥檛 need to lead with an apology. Be more casual. Don鈥檛 start a conversation addressing the long break from speaking. Instead, start the conversation with something simple like saying a funny video made you think of that person.
- 鈥淣o relationship is effortless.鈥� Some people believe a good friendship should not take a ton of work but Dr. Pennington says that鈥檚 not true. All relationships take work. Whether that鈥檚 family, romantic or a platonic friendship. That means no matter what, you need to make an effort.
- Don鈥檛 be afraid to schedule meet ups. Researchers suggest synching up scheduling and finding time to see friends. People should avoid hoping it happens organically. It may feel weird to share calendars at first, but finding an actual date and time can help build a relationship.
Check out the full conversation from In the NoCo here.
