Developing skills for positive relationships
Your friends are the people that you can talk to, share things with, confide in, and sometimes argue with. Conflict can be a normal part of any relationship, but how we resolve the conflict is important. We need to have positive relationships with our friends to feel supported and connected. This takes time and effort.
Keeping my friendships strong
To be in a positive relationship, each person needs to give their time and energy to that friendship, to communicate effectively with each other, and to accept and respect the other person’s efforts and needs. This requires energy, empathy (understanding how other people feel), and sensitivity.
It is important to develop and practice skills such as:
- effective communication
- assertiveness
- empathy
- active listening
- conflict resolution
- overcoming peer influence, and
- decision making.