This is a collaborative post: We can all experience tough times as adults, whether it’s down to stress at work, the kids getting on our nerves, family tensions, financial worries, falling out with friends, mental health issues, or perhaps postpartum depression. The pillar of being a good friend is showing that you are there for them, throughout the good times and the bad. Carry on reading to learn more about how to help a close friend get through tough times.
Be a Reliable and Trustworthy Friend
A good friendship needs trust since close friends should feel comfortable sharing their innermost concerns and worries with one another. Demonstrating that you are a trustworthy person that your friend in need can count on is vital. Make an effort to regularly tell your friend that you’re always there at the other end of the phone at any time of the day, no matter the circumstances.
Being a reliable friend and guiding your friend through a difficult time in their life will also require you to stick to your word. Don’t let your friend down and try your best to stick to arrangements. For instance, if your friend wants a chat with you at their house, and you have promised to pop round after work, try and make sure you stick to your word and go and see them at their home like you said you would if you can.
Show How Much You Value and Appreciate Their Friendship
When trying to pull your friend up and provide them with support in a difficult situation they are going through, show them just how much you love them and how highly you value their friendship. Let them know you’re somebody who loves them for who they are as a person.
It could be a great idea to get your best buddy something special such as a nice random gift as a way to display how they are always in your thoughts. Everyone loves having a spontaneous treat now and then. If you’re considering getting your friend some fun sweet snacks to cheer them up and lift their spirits a little, check out Sweet Hampers, a team of candy connoisseurs offering hampers and boxes of delightful sweet treats that can be delivered right to your door.
You can also buy other gifts that demonstrate how much you appreciate their friendship. For example, printing out a memorable photograph of you two together and then giving it to your friend in a special picture frame as a present. Photos remind us of past moments we’ve spent with close friends, through life’s ups and downs. Reminiscing about the good times can be a great topic of conversation and a way of bonding with your friend that will help to lift them out of any negative thoughts they may be currently experiencing.
Honesty is Always Key
Although tough love can sometimes initially come across as a bit harsh and unwarranted, being honest is a characteristic of a fantastic close friend. If you are giving meaningful advice to your friend on how best to resolve a situation they are faced with, making an effort to tell them the truth about what you think is the right thing to do is essential. Honesty is everything when it comes to friendships. Lying to your best friend or not saying what you really feel is a recipe for disaster. Be there, support them, and remain honest in the advice you provide.
Loyalty is a Non-Negotiable Trait of a Helpful Best Friend
Loyalty is a significant part of any close friendship. You must appreciate that you will sometimes have your rows and not always see eye to eye, much like you will also experience in relationships with your children and spouse. Loyal friends certainly do not turn their back and leave a close friend after a few disagreements or arguments.
Try and be compassionate, put yourself in their shoes, and appreciate that your friend is going through a hard time, which may cause them to lash out at times and behave a bit out of character. After falling out with a close friend, a good friend stays loyal and definitely doesn’t prove themselves to be a fair-weather friend. When it comes to being an excellent close friend to someone, loyalty is non-negotiable.
Exhibit Tolerance and Acceptance
Tolerance and acceptance can also be vital components of helping close friends during their difficulties. Do you do your best to accept your friend for who they are? Maybe they love putting on music that you can’t stand, or you have really different personalities. Nevertheless, despite any differences you may have, just try and accept them for who they are as a person, warts and all.
Always Act with Your Friend’s Best Interests at Heart
Although accepting your friend for who they are is important, helping out a close friend whose best interests you have at heart doesn’t mean you have to accept and tolerate absolutely everything they do. For instance, if your friend is going through bad times and has a history of a dependence on alcohol that you learn has recently resurfaced and have been drinking large amounts daily again, get them help. You can contact the charity Alcoholics Anonymous whenever you like to try and get support for a friend navigating issues with drink problems; their telephone helpline is always free to call.
Sometimes being a good and supportive friend may mean rejecting their bad habits. Another example could be telling a friend entangled in a toxic relationship but keeps returning to the same partner that it may be a wise idea to consider ending the relationship entirely. Suggesting that your best friend should perhaps end a relationship may sound a tad brutal. However, from what you know about the situation, you may believe that breaking up could benefit their wellbeing and future happiness. Make it clear to your friend that you only care about what will be best for them, and there’s no malice or bad intentions behind the advice and help you are trying to provide them.
Make Sure You’re Easily Contactable
A top friend should always make sure they stay in excellent contact with their best pals. Communication is key in friendships and checking up on each other is essential. Your friend might understandably get the hump and become upset if you usually speak on a frequent basis, but you haven’t talked with them in weeks for whatever reason.
Ensure you’re easily contactable by having a mobile and contacting your friend regularly by SMS text messages, phone calls, WhatsApp’s and so on. Many friends in 2022 also stay in contact via messaging one another on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fortunately, the efficient digital technology around today makes us all better interconnected with one another and means that communicating with your buddies is easier than ever before.
Being easy to contact will mean your friend has the comfort of knowing they can contact you for support or a chat whenever they wish to do so. You may be the one friend they choose to phone in an emergency. We all need a helping hand from someone when we are in hard times, and sometimes speaking to family members can be difficult. Therefore, close friends will always play a vital role in our lives.