Life is better with friends – we all know this. In fact, it is your friends that help you get over every rough breakup or heartbreak that you have had to endure. Spending time with friends helps you realize who are the people that truly matter in your life and how much they care about you. When we get into new relationships, we often forget to make time for friends. However, we should remember and continue to cherish the role of friends in our life. Having beers, playing board games or simply calling them up after a long day, your life is better with friends around you.
Spending Time With Friends Is Vital
We have all done it. We met the sweetest person ever and spent every waking hour with them. In the process of building a romantic relationship, canceling plans after plans with our buddies is something we are all guilty of. Sure, a romantic endeavor requires time and dedication but it is equally vital to make time for friends for maintaining a healthy mind space. Balancing a relationship and friendship takes time management. You are often “too busy” with work but somehow manage to find time for the budding romantic partner. Friends are for life and they understand this and might even cut you some slack at the end of the day but as the weirdly accurate Miss Phoebe Buffay had once said “Boyfriends and girlfriends will come and go but this is for life.” This is not to imply you do not work for the relationship but that you make time for your friends even when you are in a relationship. To show someone you care is necessary in friendship as much as it is in a relationship. A girl’s night out is a fun way to cajole the pissed-off friends you have been ignoring. And more than that, a fun night out (or a day) is a sure-shot way to forget all your stresses and worries, albeit momentarily. Friends are forgiving, and no matter how often or not you hang out with them, there is a shared sense of comfort level that allows you to pick up right where you left off. You can divulge all the details of your life you would not want to share with anyone, even your partner. And do so without the fear of judgment or ridicule. Romantic relationships have their own perks, but so does friendship. Dedicating time to spending time with friends helps improve your relationship and here’s why:
1. They keep alive the person you were before the relationship
Getting in a relationship can change the way you are; possibly in a good way. But more often than not, in the process of becoming a person our partner will love, we lose the touch of uniqueness in us. After a while, we are just being the person we are supposed to be for a relationship and not the person we really are. Look at people after getting married. It is very natural to think “Okay, I am married now. I need to focus on this”, which is absolutely crucial but keeping in touch with people who have been important to us adds to the happiness quotient. The importance of friends in our life stems from the idea that they help us stay in touch with our true selves despite everything else that might be happening around us. Also, friends help us keep the spark alive. To cite an example, visiting archaeological sites might be a passion for you, and it might not be a feasible option for your partner to go with you. You can always do this and the things that you like with your friends, just like you did before the relationship. Keeping that individual part of you alive will make you a happier person.
2. Spending time with friends lighten your mood
They have seen you at your absolute best and at your absolute worst – and when you are at your worst they have been a constant support. Keeping the friendship alive and making time for them from time to time will undoubtedly put you in a better mood which can lead to a better sex drive and a better sense of well-being in general. Every time Rose has a tough day with work, she invites Chloe out for a drink. Their relationship is one of the rare examples of finding real friendship online. They have been meeting often and Rose usually turns to her when she is having a difficult time. The two of them rave and laugh and turn the bar upside down with their charm. Chloe makes Rose realize that life is better with friends and nothing can bog her down as long as her best friend is by her side.
3. You can focus on someone else’s lives
Not in an obsessive way, though. Gathering your friends together for a binge-watching session or just meeting up with them will take you through the happenings of their lives. There will be no need to constantly obsess about or think about your life. This may sound a little insincere but that is not entirely true. Having a good group of friends helps you learn more about them and from them too. Discussing past breakups, family issues, job problems and the like will keep you evolving and in the loop of things.
4. They offer invaluable moral support
Why spending time with friends is important is also all about learning. It is always helpful to see your problems from a different perspective. Friends provide a new outlook, a better solution to your troubles. They are also a source of positive vibes and constant moral support, no matter what. They can offer help in ways you would approve because they know you so damn well. Your platonic relationships will keep you going, trust us. Even if there are some relationship issues you need help with, who better to turn to than your gang of pals who have always had your back. Having around a good group of friends means that you have people who look out for you and have your best interests at heart.
5. It is a great release mechanism
The role of friends in our life is also creating a safe space for ranting, venting and speaking out your deepest, darkest thoughts without inhibition. Friendships are a positive release mechanism for any problems you may be facing, be it at work, in your relationship or any other aspect of life. They might not be able to offer the best of advice but ranting about it for a good two hours will release a lot of the pent-up pressure. This is why making time for friends will prevent you from having a breakdown or having fits of misplaced outbursts at your partner. There comes a point where you realize you aren’t seeing your friends enough. When that happens, discuss it with your partner. An understanding partner will definitely see the point. In fact, you and your partner spending time apart with your respective group of friends can help improve your relationship manifold.
