20 tips for having happy friendships

“Friends are the sunshine of life.” How right he was. Friends add love, light and happiness to our lives. Dr George Vaillant, the chief investigator of the world’s longest study into what makes us have happy and satisfying lives, found being able to have good relationships is a key ingredient for happiness. What are some ways to boost happiness in our relationships and friendships? Here are 20 ideas.

Have good communication
Listen well
Make our friends feel good
Have enough in common
Put time into friendships
Be kind, considerate, respectful, tactful and thoughtful

Be honest
Focus on the good in our friends
Praise our friends
Be cautious with criticism
Practice the 50-50 guideline
Remember that body language and tone of voice are important
Be genuinely interested in our friends
Don’t betray trust and confidence
Avoid being overbearing, overwhelming and dominating
Laugh together
Avoid being judgemental
Practice anger management
Be cautious about changing things about our friends
Be loyal and supportive