2020 was a pretty isolating year for many of us. The COVID-19 pandemic brings enforced periods of social isolation and social distancing. Saving lives, of course, is incredibly important. But many of us found that our personal relationships suffered as a result. While the virus is still spreading in the new year and we need to remain cautious, it’s also a good time to strengthen your relationships.
It’s not surprising that many of us are looking for a fresh start and want to improve our relationships with others. It’s a thoughtful and special new year’s resolution!
Now, the pandemic hasn’t passed and we will still inevitably face obstacles when it comes to socializing. But, as we’re growing used to living in this new way, many of us are beginning not only to manage but thrive.
Here are a few suggestions on how to strengthen your relationships this year!
Keep In Touch
The first thing you really need to focus on doing when it comes to maintaining good relationships is to keep in touch. Now, every relationship is different. Some of us have friends who we talk to throughout the day every day. Some of us have other friends who we have a chat with once a year. Whatever dynamic works for you is great. But what’s really important is that you make the effort and catch up at least every once in a while. Now, keeping in touch may feel difficult right now. We can’t catch up over a coffee in the local coffee shop. It’s especially tough for long distance relationships, as we definitely can’t make casual long distance journeys in the way that we might have been able to in the past. But the good news is that we are living in the age of technology and there are countless ways to reach out to people without having to see one another on a face to face basis! You can text. You can make a phone call. You can have a video call. You can even hold group video calls to get multiple people together at once.
Learn People’s Love Languages
When we think of love languages, we tend to think of romantic relationships. But we communicate in our love languages with anyone who’s close to us – family, friends or otherwise. Understanding someone’s love language will help you to show your appreciation for them and that you care about them in a way that speaks well to them!
Words of Affirmation
Words of affirmation are encouraging words that show you care. They are words that let this person know that you care. It could be telling them you’re proud of an achievement of theirs. It could be telling them how lucky you feel to have them in your life. It could be simply letting them know how good a friend they are or how valued they are.
Acts of Service
Acts of service are things that you do for someone that you know they will like and appreciate. It could be making them a hot drink or picking them up a coffee. It could be refilling the oil in their car. It could be cooking a meal for them. It doesn’t have to be outlandish. Just show that you’re willing to put time and effort into doing something for them!
Receiving Gifts
Thoughtful gifts really can brighten someone’s day. If anyone’s ever surprised you with something nice, you’ll know exactly how it feels! Someone making an effort out of the blue really can lift your spirits and strengthen your connection with them. Gifts, of course, don’t have to be large, extravagant or expensive. They could be something as simple as Thank You Flowers when they’ve done something nice for you, a snack that they enjoy, a book you thought they might like to read or something similar.
Quality Time
Sometimes, all someone will want is some of your time. Sure, we all tend to lead relatively busy and hectic lifestyles. But you still need to factor in some moments for those you enjoy spending time with. Sure, you may not be able to spend time together on a face to face basis with the pandemic, but you should still carve out some time in your schedule for a phone call, a video call and a general catch up.
Be Honest and Open
If any of your relationships are feeling the strain and you find that the relationship is solely revolving around arguing, disagreements and other issues, you may find that you have simply outgrown the relationship, or that it wasn’t ever actually that good in the first place. The pandemic has highlighted relationships that largely revolved around having someone to do things with, as opposed to having a genuine connection with that person. Sure, you may have spent a fair few weekends with someone attending events before the pandemic, but if you can’t maintain a relationship that doesn’t revolve around being in certain places or doing certain things, you may find that the relationship wasn’t too great or genuine in the first place. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It might just mean being open and honest about this and closing the door on it.
Maintaining good relationships in every aspect of life is always important. So, do your utmost to maintain yours, even during these trying times. Hopefully, some of the above advice will work in your favour and could help you to really let your loved ones know that you care for them and are there for them. They’re bound to return the sentiment!
The post How To Strengthen Your Relationships This Year appeared first on Miss Millennia Magazine.
from Miss Millennia Magazine
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