7 Ways To Bond With Your Friends (& Have A Better Social Life)

Close friends are an important part of life, and this can’t be understated. These are the people you feel most comfortable around. The ones you can actually be yourself with. It’s not uncommon for people to struggle to make these kinds of friends, though.

They’ll have multiple friends, but none they can call close friends. It could leave you struggling to figure out how to make them. The answer could be as simple as knowing how to bond with your friends.

While that seems obvious, countless people struggle with this. Where do you even start?

Thankfully, this doesn’t need to be as complicated as you could think. It’s just a matter of using the right strategies and picking your friends wisely. With seven particular strategies to try, you shouldn’t have a problem with it.

It’s worth diving into each of them.

Bond With Your Friends: 7 Ways To Try

1. Focus On What You Have In Common

With some friends, you mightn’t have a lot in common. They could just be a part of your friend group for whatever reason. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things you don’t have in common. There could be more than you’d think, and it’s worth finding out what these are.

Once you do, you can bond with your friends by focusing on what you have in common. It gives you more to talk about and do. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t focus on these from the start. It’ll help you get closer and closer in time.

2. Keep Things Simple

When you’re trying to bond with your friends, you might think you’d have to do something big and complicated. While there’s a time and a place for this, it doesn’t mean you have to do it all of the time. Instead, it can often be worth keeping things simple.

By doing this, you and your friends shouldn’t have to put much time or effort into it. It’ll be much more relaxing, which can often be more appealing than something complicated. Even just hanging out and watching a movie could be more than enough for when you’re spending time with them.

3. Don’t Rush Things

If you feel like you don’t have any close friends, you might want to rush into it. There are countless benefits to having these kinds of friends, and you’ll want to see them. That doesn’t mean you should rush through the process, though. That could be the wrong approach to take.

It could make everything feel forced, and it might end up with them not becoming close friends. Take your time during the process, and it should go much more smoothly. Making close friends takes time, so be prepared to actually put the time into it from the start.

4. Play Games With Them

While you should already be doing things to bond with your friends, some options are much more appealing than others. Playing games with your friends can be one of the more notable steps to take. There’ll be plenty of these to choose from, ranging from video games to simple solitaire to a multiplayer game like Hearts.

Figure out what games you and your friends like to play, and make time to actually play them. You’ll end up having quite a bit of fun, and you’ll feel closer to them once you do. It’ll be a great time, and it’s something you could end up doing time and time again.

5. Be Yourself

You should want your close friends to like you for you. Anything else wouldn’t be honest, so it’s always worth being yourself when you’re with them. That way, you can rest assured they actually care about you for who you are. It’s always the best approach to take when you’re making and maintaining friendships.

While that means you mightn’t get along with everyone, you don’t need that. Everyone just needs people who like them for them, which makes the relationship a lot more authentic. Be yourself as much as you can, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

6. Listen When They Talk

Everyone wants to feel listened to. It’s why they’re talking in the first place, and it’s something you’ll want quite a bit. Your friends will want this to, so it’s always worth putting the time and effort into actually listening to them. Pay attention to what they’re actually saying when they’re talking.

Active listening is a skill quite a few people need to work on, and you’ve no reason not to focus on this. It’ll make you and your friends feel better knowing you can actually talk to each other and be listened to. It’s worth putting the time and effort into this.

7. Share The Bad Stuff

There’ll be plenty of times that things don’t go the way you wanted, or when you’re not feeling great. While quite a few people bottle up their emotions when this happens, it’s not the healthiest thing to do. Sharing your feelings with someone makes everything a lot easier, and it can help you bond with who you share them with.

Your friends could be the people you go to first when this happens. By sharing your emotions with them, even the negatives, you can get closer to them and strengthen your relationship. It’ll even make you feel better, and they could share their emotions, too.

Bond With Your Friends: Wrapping Up

Close friends can be the best ones anyone has. They can be counted on for anything, and you can be yourself with them no matter what. To actually have them, however, you’ll have to bond with your friends in the first place.

The process helps turn them from regular friends into close ones, and there’s no reason not to.

Thankfully, this doesn’t need to be as complicated as you could think. It’s just a matter of using the right strategies, most of which should come naturally. There’s no excuse why not to put a little work into it. You’ll have close friends you can depend on before you know it.