1. Home
  2. People & Relationships
  3. Friendship

Being Too Busy for Friends

Don't put off friends off when you are busy.

What should you do when your life is so full you can't keep your friendships going?

Help Your Friendship Stay Strong

Friendship Spotlight10

Have a Friendship Supper Club

Friday April 29, 2011

I think having friends over for dinner is a cool way to hang out, have some great conversation, and eat some good food. What more could you want? It's also a good way to have a "night out" while still keeping things under budget.

If you find a few couples that you enjoy hanging out with, why not have regular supper club dinners like these folks did? Each week they get together with a group of people, and I love this part:

"The only consistent practice is to ask each other a new question during dessert each week: What was your favorite game during childhood? Who is your best friend? How can we help you better as a friend?"

Isn't that great? What a lovely way to learn more about the friends in their life. I also liked the fact that some of them had kept their menus from the various dinners they attended over the years. (The scrapbook girl in me can see a book devoted to menus, recipes, and pictures that commemorate these types of dinners!)

Here are some more ideas on things to do with a group of your friends.

Do You Have a Best Friend at Work?

Thursday April 28, 2011

We talk about having friends at work, but what about a best friend in the office? Research from the Gallup organization found that "employees who have a best friend at work are much more likely to be engaged in their jobs--and they're more likely to have engaged customers." Despite the pros and cons involved with friending someone in the office, having a best bud you can look forward to seeing each day can help you become a better employee.

I have to say I agree with these findings. Whenever I had someone in the office that I could count on to be a true friend, I looked forward to work a bit more. If I had a bad moment for some reason, my pal would be there for me with some reassurance. Just think about how much time you spend at work. When you're there with people who aren't friends, it can make for a very long day!

Friending people in the office is always a risk, but overall, I think it's worth it. If you're a manager, you can help people understand that friendship at work is a good thing. Here are some ways to encourage your staff to get to know each other.

What If Your Child Doesn't Have a Lot of Friends?

Wednesday April 27, 2011

I caught this Dear Abby article recently where a mother had twin boys and insisted that one of the twins (who was popular and had a lot of friends) make sure that the other twin make friends. So when one child ("Frank") went to parties and sleepovers she made him bring the other child ("Jake.") Frank is outgoing and has lots of friends, while Jake just has one close friend. The woman wondered if she should contact the parents of Frank's friends and ask that they invite over her other son, Jake.

Dear Abby advised the woman that that was a bad idea. But as I read the letter, I couldn't help wondering if perhaps Frank was more extroverted while Jake was more of an introvert. Having one close friend as opposed to several friends is fine if it makes you happy. Introverts see the world in a different way than extroverts, and they get energy from ideas and alone time rather than other people. Read More...

Making the Best Out of a Bad Situation

Tuesday April 26, 2011

A few years ago my mom was in a store, when suddenly it started to downpour out. While she waited for the rain to subside, she started chatting with another woman as they both watched the weather outside. They struck up a friendship, and hung out and did a few things after that. I'm not sure how long the friendship ended up lasting, but does it really matter? The point is, she took a really lousy situation and just tried to make the best out of it. The bonus was that she ended up with a friend.

Compare that to someone that would have reacted really badly to the weather. Let's say they threw a fit or cursed and stomped around. Would you strike up a conversation with someone like that? Uh... probably not. Most likely, you'd avoid them. But if you were acting like that, you may miss an opportunity to meet a new friend.

Remaining positive and being interested in others is one of my top ten tips for having more friends. Check out the other eight and if you have a few suggestions of your own, feel free to share!

Discuss in the forum

  1. Home
  2. People & Relationships
  3. Friendship

©2011 About.com. All rights reserved. 

A part of The New York Times Company.