She Strengthens

Rethinking Friendships: Why It’s Time to Evaluate Your Relationships

As we navigate our personal and professional lives, we often focus on building and maintaining relationships that are beneficial to us. But have you ever stopped to think about the quality of your friendships? Just like performance reviews at work, it’s essential to evaluate your relationships outside of the office to ensure they’re serving you well.

The Importance of Social Connections

Human beings are wired to form connections for our safety and security, both emotionally and physically. Friendships play a vital role in our overall success and wellbeing, providing us with a sense of belonging, support, and happiness. However, as we grow and change, our relationships with others do too. It’s crucial to constantly re-evaluate them to ensure they remain beneficial to our lives.

Identifying Healthy Friendships

So, what makes a healthy friendship? Experts agree that successful friendships should foster positive emotions, reciprocity, effective conflict-resolution, and encourage personal development.

• A Positive Emotional State: Friendships should leave you feeling empowered, happy, and content. If you walk away from interactions feeling drained or unhappy, it may be time to re-evaluate.
• Reciprocity: Equal effort is key in any friendship. If one person is doing all the work, it’s unsustainable and may lead to feelings of resentment.
• Effective Conflict-Resolution: Conflicts will arise, but it’s how you resolve them that matters. Healthy friendships involve open communication and finding ways to work through issues together.
• Encouraging Personal Development: True friendships should help you become the best version of yourself. If a relationship is holding you back, it may be time to reassess.

When Friendships Fall Apart

It’s a fact: friendships fall apart. Sometimes, people grow in different directions, and it’s natural for relationships to evolve or dissolve. Other times, there may be more tangible reasons, such as betrayal, lack of effort, or diversion of lifestyles.

Common Causes of Failed Friendships

• Growing in Different Directions: Life changes, such as job promotions, getting engaged, or having a baby, can leave people at different places in their lives.
• They Don’t Have Your Back: If someone doesn’t prioritize you or have your best interests at heart, it may be time to re-evaluate the friendship.
• They Stopped Making You Better: If a friendship is no longer helping you grow or succeed, it may be time to move on.
• They Betrayed Your Confidence: Betrayal can come in many forms, including sharing confidential information or not following through on commitments.
• They Are Inconsistent in the Friendship: If one person is doing all the work to maintain the friendship, it can lead to feelings of resentment and burnout.

Listening to Your Gut Instincts

When something feels off in a friendship, trust your instincts. If you’re consistently feeling anxious, irritated, or bored around someone, it may be time to take a step back and reassess the relationship. Remember, you only have a limited number of spots in your closest layer, and it’s essential to fill them with people who support and uplift you.