When it comes to friendships, many of us are avid collectors.
We have our girl squads from high school and university days, catching up for twice-yearly check-ins and gossip sessions that feel like the old days. We have sisterhood-type friendships, built in from birth, whether from blood relation or close proximity between families.
We meet colleagues at our workplaces, eventually inviting one another to share a cup of coffee, then split a bottle of wine, soon becoming woven into each other’s personal lives. We have irreplaceable best friends and loved ones we keep forever, never straying far from each other’s side.
But we also tend to collect a few pick-ups that may not have rightfully earned their place.
When it comes to friendships, particularly the ones we carry with us in adulthood and keep close to our hearts, it is incredibly essential to evaluate, at some point, how these connections, relationships and conversations truly make us feel.
Because as life twists and turns, sometimes we find ourselves spending time with those who aren’t really our ‘people’. Perhaps they don’t see you shine as brightly as others do, there are certain ideas and levels you can’t seem to connect on, or career competition lurks in the background, spreading envy and negativity where there should only be utmost support.
Regardless of the details, there is one factor that must be considered. After speaking with or spending time with this person, do you feel lit up, inspired, motivated and capable? Or do you feel heavy with worries, driven down by drama, or disoriented about who you really are?
Your friendships should be something that, like other self-care rituals, lift you up and make you feel wonderful. When you are surrounded by people who love you, support you and believe in you, you will feel supported and nourished to perform your best. When this doesn’t occur, it may not be someone’s fault, but simply a disconnect between what you value and who you are.
On this International Friendship Day, we encourage you to consider and curate the relationships in your lives, the same way you curate your self-care habits. Does this create warm-fuzzy feelings? Do you feel loved, cherished and supported? Do you feel truly wonderful, nourished and at peace? Is there a mutual understanding about looking after what’s best for you?
When you identify those beautiful, warm, loving people who make you feel unstoppable and on top of the world… hold them as tightly as you hold your self-care rituals. These people are truly self-care in human form.
And when they deserve some recognition for everything they’ve done for you…
Our self care boxes are the perfect place to start. 🤍