Making friends is easy, but creating deep friendship bonds is not as easy as it involves barring yourself and having someone know everything about you.
And this is quite a feat because some friends will expose your secrets or abandon you when you most need them; people are afraid to create deep bonds.
Having those one or two friends, who can be there for you in good and bad times is worth going to all the trouble to keep them around.
Do the ten activities below with your friend to strengthen your friendship bond.
10 Fantastic Activities to Do with Your Friend to Solidify Your Bond
Having a strong bond with your friend is pretty crucial. You can do these things with your friend to strengthen your relationship.
1. Go On a Vacation Together
If you love traveling, you can opt for an Airbnb instead of staying at a hotel. This will help strengthen your bond as you perform activities such as cooking and washing utensils together.
You can take up board games or opt to explore the area near your current residence in your free time.
Or instead of going on a vacation just the two of you, you can book group trips which tour companies usually organize.
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Being around other people will help you loosen up and connect better with each other. So, don’t be afraid of getting out of your comfort zone.
2. Give Gifts
Find your friend’s love language; if it’s receiving gifts, surprise them with a gift not only on special days such as Valentine’s, birthdays, or after a promotion.
You can give them gifts on regular days. The gift doesn’t have to be expensive; flowers, earrings, or a bracelet. This shows you care.
3. Being There for Each Other in Good and Bad Times
You can have many people celebrate the good things in your life, but having them stick around during the bad times is the most significant test of friendship.
So, if you want to create a strong bond with your friend, don’t only be present when they are celebrating; hold their hand when things get tough.
4. What Do You Have in Common
Being friends with someone is more like dating, so you have to learn what they like because you don’t want to be saying things out of context.
So, learn your friend inside out; you must know their favorite food, music, color, and even dress code.
It would be best if you both like the same things, but most strong friendships are between people who are opposites, but know how to meet on a middle ground.
Knowing what they like, you can surprise them by taking them to a concert hosted by their favorite musician or out for dinner at their favorite restaurant.
Knowing you are willing to tolerate places and activities you don’t like, out of friendship, is a sure sign that you are their ride or die, and they would do the same for you at the drop of a hat.
5. Exercise Together
Take on a healthy habit together; you can plan on exercising and eating healthy and keep each other on track. Having a shared goal helps strengthen your relationship. You can enroll in a gym and yoga and try exercises that require coordination between two people, such as the two-person yoga poses.
Exercising helps you stay healthy; exercises such as yoga and meditation give you peace of mind and keep you grounded.
6. Create a Bucket List to Do Together
The best way to strengthen a friendship is by doing things you’ve always wanted to but are afraid of.
So, sit down with your friend and note down everything you want to do together; it can be swimming with the Dolphins, deep diving in the ocean, skydiving, or traveling the globe.
That said, ensure that it’s something your friend loves, because if not, irrespective of your intentions, they’ll wonder if you know them.
7. Lend a Listening Ear When They Want to Talk
Many people are struggling with depression, and it’s not like they don’t have friends. It’s just that the friends don’t stay still enough to listen to their cries.
So, when you notice your friend is going through a rough patch, be the person they can talk to about their feelings and struggles without judgment or interruptions.
Let your friend know that you are their safe space and anything they say stays between the two of you.
And don’t only listen to what they are saying, be keen enough to read the cues, and this means giving your friend undivided attention.
So, don’t use your phone during the talk and don’t give unsolicited advice. This will show your friend that you care, and this will go a long way in strengthening your friendship.
8. Be Yourself
Your friend should accept you for who you are. So, don’t try to be someone else to keep your friend’s attention, as you may lose yourself.
When making plans, don’t overextend yourself to accommodate your friend’s needs or stay silent, just because you don’t want to upset them – voice your opinion.
For instance, if you are planning a holiday, and they suggest an expensive place, don’t go into debt trying to fit in.
Politely decline and explain that you cannot meet the budget. If they are genuine friends who respect you, they will understand and go for an option you can afford instead of going without you.
9. Ask Each Other Personal Questions
Having a solid friendship means knowing your friend’s most profound secrets; the only way to do that is to ask each other questions. This will help you have deep and meaningful conversations that elevate your life.
However, before sharing your deepest secrets, ensure your friend is trustworthy and that they’ve also shared theirs with you. This is because some friends start exposing all your secrets when you have a falling out.
10. Plan for Dates
As we’ve said, friendship is like dating; you plan dates as you do with your boyfriend, fianc?, or spouse. This gives you something to look forward to, and we all know that sometimes we need to rant, and we can only do so in front of someone we trust.
So, plan for a date with your friend once a week to help you unwind and catch up.
Final Thoughts
We are in the 21st century where everyone is chasing money and a career and forgetting the importance of friendships in our life.
And the way friends betray each other left and right will have you wondering whether having a friend is even okay.
But, if you have good friends, hold them tight as they are hard to come by. You can strengthen your friendship bond through the activities discussed in this article.
