There are three key groups of people who, through our intimate relationships, shape our entire personal lives: close friends, family members and romantic partners. Outside of this trio but every bit as important is the relationship we have with the people we work with.
Making an effort to ensure your relationships with members of all four groups can pay huge dividends but, because relationships are constantly evolving, this requires a significant investment of time and energy. Read on for a few tips to make the most of the people who know you best?
Work Relationships
The average person spends more than a third of their waking hours at work over the course of a typical career. Even the best jobs in the world have their fair share of stresses and strains, so if you want to ensure your time spent in the workplace is an enjoyable as possible, you not only need to find the right job but also build your relationships with your co-workers.
When you optimize your relationships at work, you will find you get significantly more satisfaction out of your job and will no longer dread going into the office. You’ll also be more productive and efficient and, as a result, far more likely to get promoted or be able to take advantage of other opportunities.
The key to better relationships with those you work with is clear communication. Always give people your full attention, maintain eye contact and show you are actively listening to what is being said. If you are constantly distracted during a conversation, the person speaking to you will feel that what they have to say is not important to you, so avoid doing this whenever you can.
You may also want to spend time with your colleagues outside of the office to get to know them on a more personal level, though for this to work best it’s a good idea to ensure you aren’t simply discussing the same issues you would while you are at work. You need not invest a huge amount of time to see significant improvements – a few minutes a day is all you need.
Romantic Relationships
Love is one of the most intoxicating emotions you can feel during your lifetime, and it’s important to cherish and nurture your romantic relationship. Whether you’ve been in a relationship for 20 years or two years, you have to work on making sure your partner feels loved and appreciated. It’s easy to become stuck in a rut with your relationship, but taking the time and the effort to show them at least once a week how valued they are will make a vast difference to your relationship. There a variety of ways to improve your romantic relationship with your partner. For example, you should endeavor to set aside dedicated one-on-one time, such as a date night, as well as putting down your smartphone. Stepping away from your smartphone will allow you to connect more closely face-to-face, rather than sending a text or writing an email. You should try to always be understanding and compassionate towards your partner. After all, they are the one you love and want to spend your life with.
A recent study shows that couples who connect intimately at least once a week have the strongest and happiest bond. If you’re finding it difficult to find time, you can try to dedicate one night a week to spend time together. There are also products that can help you in the bedroom, such as Bathmate Direct, to improve intimacy in your relationship.
Family Relationships
The fact that you don’t get to choose the members of your family the way you get to choose your friends means the potential for conflict is always going to be greater. Family relationships tend to involve a greater sense of obligation, meaning you are more likely to have to go places or do things you would rather not, which can be a breeding ground for resentment.
The rising tide of social media means that today’s families are more likely to post a picture of their favorite meal on Instagram than they are to sit down and eat it together. This is a shame as studies show that families that regularly sit down and eat together have stronger bonds and better communication. Where younger family members are concerned, those in families that spend this kind of quality time together are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs and also perform better academically.
In addition to meals, it’s a good idea to arrange social outings that all members of the family enjoy, whether it’s attending a sporting event or simply playing a board game around the dining room table. The more laughs that can be involved, the closer you will become.
Friendships
Having close friends to support and encourage you when times are tough is important, but they can also pay a much greater role. Studies have shown that strong social connections can prevent you from becoming ill so often.
Not all friendships are equal so it’s important to spot those individuals who make you feel worse when you spend time with them and do everything you can to cut them out of your life. At the same time, you want to do everything possible to strengthen your connection to those people who inspire you to be the best possible version of yourself.
One key element of a strong friendship is trustworthiness. Avoid making promises you cannot keep and don’t let your friends down at the last minute. You also need to be dependable so that your friends can rely on you, no matter what they are going through. If you let someone down, apologize right away and do everything you can to show you are truly sorry. Although it may be difficult at times, honesty is always the best policy if you want your friendship to survive.
Loyalty is also key. Try to avoid getting involved in idle gossip about people, as you don’t want to cultivate a reputation for bad-mouthing people behind their backs as such behavior could come back to haunt you in months or years to come.