How To Become Your Own Best Friend And Become A Happier You
Build a bond that lasts a lifetime
Support, solace, companionship, communication. A good friendship encompasses all of that, so true friends are hard to find.
Someone rightly said, “A true friend accepts who you are and helps you become who you should be.” What if that friend was you?
What makes a real friend
A best friend is someone you connect with at a deeper level and get along well. Here are some of the attributes of a true friend.
- Friends have a positive relationship
- They know each other thoroughly
- Friends accept you unconditionally
- They share love and understanding
- They bond well and are committed to each other
- They support one another through thick and thin
- They are dedicated to the interests of one another
- They are non-judgmental of each other
- They encourage you to pursue your goals
- They keep each other inspired
- You feel respected and valued when you’re with them
- They help you learn, grow and evolve.
- They are an excellent support system
- You feel calm and at peace with them
- They boost your sense of self-worth and confidence
- They help you gain meaningful insights
- They have a profound influence on your life
- They are kindred spirits in your life
How to become your best friend
Throughout your life, you look for friends and invest heavily in friendly relationships. If only you spent half that time and effort cultivating a healthy friendship with yourself, you would have a bestie for a lifetime.
Here are five ways to become your own best friend and give yourself the care and attention you deserve.
1. Take pride in who you are
Most people are tuned to viewing their mistakes and flaws more than seeing their excellent work.
To become your best friend, you need a mindset change and become more appreciative of your positives.
No one is perfect; each one errs, has slip-ups, and gets things wrong. However, if you focus only on your negatives, you’ll feel disappointed with yourself all the time and will be discouraged from taking up any new task for fear of making mistakes.
On the other hand, if you focus on your positive aspects and take pride in who you are and what you do, your self-esteem will soar. You’ll be enthusiastic about taking up bigger responsibilities and grabbing new opportunities to move forward in life.
“Fetch your ladder of pride and fix your gaze on your goal, then you will be able to overcome any obstacle.”
— Markus Jotzo
2. Build your inner support
The best support is which comes from your inner self. However, no one is born tough. You develop mental hardiness by programming yourself over some time.
When you’re faced with challenging situations, instead of panicking, get yourself in control and stay calm. Try to assess what happened and figure out how to get out of it.
The same applies when you find yourself surrounded by problems and difficulties. Training yourself to stand tall in tough times will help you develop mental strength and enable you to survive and thrive in tough times.
3. Be your own cheerleader
We all experience rough patches in life. Plans fail to materialize, things go wrong, unexpected difficulties pop up, you encounter barriers in your path, and everything looks pessimistic and gloomy.
But to achieve success and reach your goals, you have to keep pushing despite the impediments.
To be your own best friend, you have to become your cheerleader and boost your morale. Encourage yourself and boost your confidence to keep going no matter how many difficulties or roadblocks come your way.
Praise your efforts even if they don’t bear immediate results. Appreciate your commitment and passion for work and commend your ability to pick yourself up when experiencing hardships.
The constant motivation will keep your spirits high, reinforce your faith in your abilities and give you the positive energy to fight the odds and come out stronger.
“A friend is someone who makes it easy to believe in yourself.”
-Heidi Wills
4. Put yourself first
A true friend is always mindful of your needs. So to become your best friend, be kind to yourself and take care of things you want and like to do.
Often we’re so busy taking care of others that we push self-care on the back burner and neglect ourselves to no end. Sacrificing your needs can make you unhappy and depressed.
Putting yourself first is not selfishness; it’s self-love. When you are kind and caring towards yourself and regularly give time to yourself, you are better positioned to tend to others and nurture personal relationships.
Also, putting your needs first builds your self-esteem and makes you feel worthy deep within.
“If you want to have enough to give to others, you will need to take care of yourself first. A tree that refuses water and sunlight for itself can’t bear fruit for others.”
— Emily Maroutian
5. Show compassion towards yourself
A real friend will be gentle with you and understand you fully. They will be tolerant and forgiving of your mistakes.
In order to become your best friend, you must learn to show yourself self-compassion. Instead of judging yourself or being critical of your behavior, try to understand why you do what you do and what are your limitations.
Only when you are compassionate towards yourself you’ll be freely able to express yourself and improve upon your negatives and weaknesses.
A true friend is immense support and helps you become better. You must also play a similar role in your life.
“A true friend is someone who would always love you — the imperfect you, the confused you, the wrong you.”
— Author Unknown
In Conclusion
Friendship matters, and true friendship is an essential part of a happy and fulfilling life. When you become your own best friend, the burden of your problems feels lighter, it becomes easy to navigate life’s challenges, and you can better cope with stress.
“A friend is what the heart needs all the time.”
— Henry van Dyke
