Episode 41: Are Friendships Essential for Your Health?

My guest today is Rachel Barker from Dear.Rach and we are diving into the topic of friendships and how they relate to, and if they are important to our overall health.

In this episode:

Questions and results from
Rachel’s friendship polls:

Do you think friendships are important to your overall health? 96% said yes

Do you make friends easily? 58% said yes. 42% said no.

Do you tend to have several superficial friendships or 1-3 super close friendships? 20% said they have a lot of friends and 80% say that they keep 1-3 close friends.

Are your current friendships long standing? 80% stay with same friends. 20% gets new friends often.

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OTHER TOPICS WE TOUCH ON

*Giving and taking in friendships

*Questioning the motives of people’s friendships

*Hesitations in reaching out to others

*Being transparent in friendships

*Communication is KEY in any relationship

*Checking in with yourself and what you are willing to give, and what capacity you have to give to a friendship.

HOW DO YOU MAKE FRIENDS?

*Look for opportunities in your daily routines.

*Smiling and saying HELLO first, goes a long way.

*Being brave enough to make the first move. You take responsibility and say hello first.

When I enter a room, I don’t say “Here I am!”
I say, “There you are!”
-Rachel Barker

*8 times out of 10 the other person is just as nervous to make the first move as you are. Be brave, step out of your comfort zone and make a new friend!

*Be aware of your body language and the vibe you could be putting out there-
Are you an open floor plan? Am I making myself accessible to other people? Do I give an open invite?

When in doubt, leave no one out.
-Rachel Barker