Friendship Advice:

How to Handle Unhealthy Friendships!

I have often needed friendship advice during my life, but never knew where to turn. So, after a lot of searching, I finally decided to turn to myself for all of the answers that I've been looking for!

And here is what I have come up with!

Become Your Own Best Friend

Part of building a better "relationship with yourself" means that you are willing to become your own best friend. However, many people have difficulty with this idea and are typically more comfortable with...

"Being Your Own Worst Enemy!"

As a matter of fact, I can definitely relate to being my own worst enemy or at least knowing how it feels to not like myself.

I also know that when I have felt lonely, I have looked outside of myself for comfort. And I have often depended on others to love me in order to feel important, needed, and valued because I never understood how to truly love myself.

However, I have gotten past this by..

Loving myself first!

However, through my experience of loving me, I have gained some insight about friendships, which is..

"Don't settle for neglectful, abusive, and one-sided friendships because you are afraid of loneliness, boredom, or of being you!" I personally believe it's much better being by yourself than it is to be with friends who do not appreciate who you are.

Some more friendship advice for you...Questions to Ask Yourself When Deciding Whether or Not a Friendship is Unhealthy!

• How do I feel when I am around this person?
• Does this person lift me up in times of pain, disappointment, or struggle?
• Does this person create more drama in my life than I need?
• Are my needs being met?
• Is this friendship one-sided?
• Can I be myself with this person?

These are just a few questions to ask yourself. Usually, you will know when a friendship is unhealthy by the way you feel. For instance, if you feel drained around this person, pay attention to that feeling.

There are also times when friendship problems are created in a group of friends. In this case my friendship advice to you is this..

..be your own best friend! At this point, being your own best friend is more important than ever. As a matter of fact, it's much easier to follow a group when you have an unhealthy relationship with yourself.

Here are some things to consider when you are questioning whether or not your group of friends is right for you...

• Am I invited with the group when they are going out?
• Does one friend talk about me behind my back to another friend in our group?
• Does this group of friends match my values, personality, beliefs, and self-worth?
• Do I feel pressured to hang out with them when they are doing something I devalue?

Only you can know whether or not your group of friends is right for you. Know yourself first and you will find friends that reflect who you are. It's important to surround yourself with people who bring you up rather than put you down.

Inspiration during times of struggle

My overall friendship advice to you is this...

..take an active role in your life and choose your friends wisely. Once you learn how to appreciate your uniqueness, you'll find friends with the same like-minded qualities.

Here are some resources to help you on the way...

Inspirational Quotes about Friendship with Yourself and Others

The Importance of Friendship

Are you having friendship problems?

If you have questions or comments please feel free to contact me with your question (you will find the contact form on the bottom of the page.)