I don’t have to tell you that friendships are super important. As humans, we’re social creatures, and for a lot of us, our friends are who keeps us sane. But, it’s not like friendships don’t require work. Just like any relationship, putting some work into your friendships is what makes them all the more gratifying and long-lasting. Although sometimes, we’re not able to put the work in like usual. When you’re drained or down, maintaining friendships can sometimes feel impossible, no matter how much you love your friends. So, here are some ways you can still nurture your friendships, even when life gets in the way.
Thoughtful and Honest Messages
When you’re down, even replying to a text message or returning a phone call can seem like the hardest thing to do ever. But when you start to go MIA without explanation, your friends might start assuming the reason themselves. And we can’t blame them, without communication, we have no clue what other people are thinking! I know if someone isn’t replying to me, I tend to automatically assume they’re mad at me. Even if you’re feeling drained or down, friendships are a two-way street, and your pals deserve to know what’s going on, at least to the extent of why you haven’t been getting back to them like normal. Something as simple as a text saying “Hey, I’ve been feeling down lately and it’s been harder to respond to your messages like normal. I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you, you are very important to me.” Being honest with your friends like this helps them understand why you’ve been behaving differently and also affirms their role in your life. A little reassurance never hurt anybody!
On top of being honest with your friends, sometimes sending little messages can be an easy way to show them you’re thinking about them and you care, even if you can’t be there with them, or you haven’t been yourself lately. If you remember they’ve got something important going on, you can do something as little as send a cute gif of encouragement. Even if it’s out of nowhere, something like a “I hope you have a good day!” message can go so far.
Have a Day of Distraction
If they’re good friends, they’re here for you! If you are feeling down, letting your friend know that you’d like to be distracted from what’s going on can lead to a fun day of getting your mind off things! Take some time to focus on your friendship, leaving other stressors and emotions at bay while enjoying your friend’s company. Distracting yourself from big feelings can be hard, but with a little help from your friend(s), you’ll likely find yourself doing something fun, and get your mind off things for a while and also letting your friend know they’re important to you.
Make Them Something
Maybe your social meter is extra low, but you find solace in baking or crafting or creating of some kind? Let your friend in on a little bit of that love. If baking helps soothe your soul, you can do that while simultaneously making your buddies some fresh baked goodies. If knitting helps ease your mind, knit your friend something small to show you’re thinking of them. Find a way to create while being kind to yourself and your friends, and you’ll find that it doesn’t always have to be so exhausting to be there for your friends even while you’re feeling drained or down.
Send Them Something You Think They’d Like
If you’re being kind to yourself while you’re feeling drained or down, chances are you’ll pick up little pleasures that help nurture your own soul. Maybe you’ve been reading, taking baths, drinking tea, or even just allowing yourself to scroll on TikTok for ages. Whatever has been helping you, perhaps you can find a way to share that nurturing with your friends. It can take nearly no effort to lend a friend a book you just finished that you think they’d like, or to send them a handwritten letter with a few tea bags of your new favorite flavors, or to even just send them the videos that you think would have them rolling on TikTok. Little things like this can make you and your friend feel more connected without really putting in any work.
Do Nothing Together
Sometimes, when you’re feeling down, all you can really do is nothing. If you’re feeling up to it, it can be easy to invite a friend over to do, well, nothing. Throw on some mindless TV, listen to some music, whatever it is, and just chill in the presence of your friend or friends. Not only can this help improve your mood a bit, it puts that nurturing into your friendship by simply spending time with them, even if you’re not doing much. As someone who’s love language is probably quality time, it can be so nice to just do nothing with a friend, whether you’re feeling down or not.
Did these tips for nurturing friendships while you’re feeling drained or down help? Let us know in the comments!
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