Make Your Friendships and Relationships a Priority with These 100+ Tips

Friendships and relationships are like the spice on the dish of life. Without meaningful connections, this whole trip-around-the-sun thing would be pretty dull, wouldn’t it?
But the thing is, a life that’s rich with love, family and friendships doesn’t mean you need to be hooked up or settled down. And it certainly doesn’t mean that having more friends equals having a better life overall. Only you will know what your ideal relationships would look like. But you will certainly know when things feel out of balance. Maybe you’re just not where you want to be in your love life. Maybe you wish your family picture looked different than it does. And maybe your social life is just off somehow. The question to ask yourself isn’t “Do I have enough friends?,” but “Am I happy with my friendships?”
Find Harmony at Home
In order to bring your life into balance, it can help to see a top-down, bird’s-eye view.
If the answer to that last question (in regards to friends, romantic relationships or your relationships with your family) is “no,” then maybe one of these links below can help.
To make new friends…
- Get online: How To Make IRL Friends Online If You’re New in Town
- Turn to thy neighbor: How to Befriend Your Next-Door Neighbors (I Mean, If You Want To)
- Master the art of the ask: How To Ask that Cool Person on a First (Friend) Date
To strengthen your friendships…
- Get out there: 10 Super-Cheap Summer “Friend Date” Ideas
- Make the effort: Incredible Little Things You Can Do To Show Friends You Love Them
- Keep in contact: Why You Should Keep a “No-Reason” Group Text Going With Your Best Friends
- Commit to Connecting: Creative Ways to Stay In Touch With Your Long-Distance Friends
To smooth rough spots…
- Handle the tough stuff: All the Hardest Things About Adult Friendships (And How to Deal with Them)
- Be careful with social media: (A)social Media: Avoid These 5 Modern Friendship Pitfalls
- Cut ties when you need to: How to Leave a Friendship (Gracefully, and Without Hurt Feelings)
To fire up your dating life…
- Tune up your online profile: Get Your Online Dating Profile in Shape for Cuffing Season
- Get your space in good shape: Is Your Apartment Relationship-Ready? 5 Ways to Make Sure
- Know the right things to say: Tinder Conversation Starters That Actually Work
- Learn to take it easy: How I Learned to Date Smarter (By Not Taking Tinder Seriously)
To stoke your romantic relationship…
- Get date night right: 7 Creative Ideas for a Fun Date Night at Home
- Fine tune your happy-making habits: The Bedtime Rules & Rituals that Happy Couples Swear By
- Make the most of your down time: How Real Couples Spend Their Sundays
- For long-distance couples: One Half of a (Very) Long Distance Couple Reveals How To Keep The Spark Alive
- For when things go wrong: 3 Sanity-Saving Steps to Take When Your Spouse, Partner or Roommate Drives You Crazy