In life, all of us enjoy friendships up to a certain limit. However, as we age, these same friendships can become quite a strain.
While this can be due to many reasons, it’s impossible to remove the feeling of loneliness when we have secure friendships.
Says therapist Israa Nasir on the feeling of loneliness within friendships,
Feeling lonely within friendships can happen for many reasons, and it’s not uncommon. Sometimes, the imbalance stems from a lack of shared interests, values, or communication styles. In other cases, it may be a result of changing circumstances, such as one friend experiencing personal growth while the other remains stagnant.
Ways in which we can fight and overcome loneliness within friendships
Let’s take a look at what to do when we feel lonely within friendships and how we do away with it.
Reflect on needs and expectations
Firstly, it’s important to understand our needs and expectations from the said friendship. If we feel that it’s time to change gears, then we have to do so as per the life situation.
Taking initiative ourselves
Rather than depending on others to take initiatives for get-togethers or simple meet-ups, we must start doing the same and constantly keep in touch with our friends.
Expanding social circle
In life, we need to keep expanding our social circle and meet new people from time-to-time. This will allow us to form a quality group of friends who share the same interests as us.
Communicate our loneliness
When we feel that we’re completely alone and there’s no one to listen to us or help us, we must honestly and safely confide in our friends and tell them about our expectations from the friendship.
Focus on quality rather than quantity
Instead of increasing the number of friends in real life or on social media, focus on having a quality group of friends who will be there for you when you need them.
Thus, these are some of the mainstays when it comes to living our life with friends. Always make sure you’re focusing on the positive aspects of the friendship and not on the negative.
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