7 Easy Ways to Be a Better Friend ...

1. Listen

One of the first ways to be a better friend is to be a good listener. Listen to what your friend has to say, and I mean really listen. Sometimes a friend doesn’t need advice, they just need someone to talk to about their problems.

2. Be There

This is probably the biggest issue of my generation. You and your friends make plans to do something awesome, like go on a trip for a weekend, or even go to the beach for the day, and then at the last second, usually the day of, they have to cancel because something came up. The truth is that they probably never intended on going anyway, they just did not want to say no. If you’re making plans with a friend, follow through or turn down the offer. It’s that simple.

3. Let Your Friend Have Other Friends

Don’t be the psycho best friend who won’t let your friend have any other friends. It’s almost like you’re a jealous boyfriend that is concerned that your girlfriend is not faithful to you. Your friend can’t cheat on you, because they are not dating you, and they are allowed to have other friends.

4. Friend/ Relationship Balance

If you yourself are in a relationship, you shouldn’t be that person that leaves their friends in the dust once they get into a new relationship. You should find a good balance between your boyfriend and your friends. If you’re brave enough, you can even bring your boyfriend and your friends together to hang out in a group!

5. Stop Giving Advice

I know this sounds weird but the less advice you give the better. If you are always the friend giving advice, and your friend is always the one with the problems, you will both eventually become tired of your roles and that friendship will seem more like work than a bond that you share. Instead of giving advice, see if you can give open questions to your friend so they can lead to their own conclusion.

6. Be Honest

It can be hard to be completely honest. I try to be as honest as possible with my friends even if I know that they won’t like it, but they respect me for it and know they can come to me for the brutal truth. If they look fat in that dress they want to wear out to the club, tell them.

7. Be Happy for Their Success

This is an issue for me sometimes and I know that I have to work on it, but if you are happy for your friend's success, good for you! A lot of people are jealous if their friend succeeds more than they do, but if you learn to swallow your pride and celebrate your friend’s triumphs, you will be a better friend.

It may seem like friendship can be easy, but in fact it takes a lot of work and time to keep a good friendship. If you follow the rules that I have on this list, you will end up having a closer, more trustful relationship. What are some other ways to be a better friend?