If you google “friends + dating” you will probably either find a spoiler-ridden synopsis of Ross and Rachel's relationship and a slew of articles offering advice on how to proceed whenever your friends don't like the individual you're dating or how to get from the dreaded “friend zone.” But what about the positive side of friendship and romance? From better health insurance and a longer lifespan towards the phenomenon colloquially known as “friendfluence,” friendships can be very beneficial to various facets of our lives — including dating!
To get more insight into the positive impact of friendship, I spoke to leading life coach Carole Ann Rice. Here are some ways your pals might help your love life.
- Friends remind you of who you are.
“You choose to be friends – you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your loved ones. The people within our lives who can be draining sometimes are often us, but we can't simply delete them from your lives. Whereas with friends are the ones we choose to be around, unlike the duty-bound family ties,” says Rice. It's easy to feel set adrift within the sea of dating, but because our chosen family, our friends keep us grounded and point out who we're in the first place. Plus, our friends often understand us even if others (family members, that dude you went on a Tinder date with last night) don't.
- They assist you to create balance.
Whether it's a life-partner or perhaps a friendship, it's not healthy or realistic to expect one individual to fulfill all of your needs. Having a diverse group of friends with different interests allows you to live a far more well-rounded, balanced life. As Rice reminds us, “you may have a gym buddy, a pal you play music and drink wine with, or a pal you grab coffee each and every couple months and catch-up. A friend you catch the latest movies with, a networking friend, or even an ‘old’ friend you remember happy times with.”
When you have different friends for various areas of your lifestyle and personality, you stop looking to have of these things fulfilled by the people you date. Instead, you can enjoy dating and relationships for which they are — a cherry on top of an already delicious life.
- Friends love you.
Sure, dating can result in love and happiness, but at the end of the day, our friends love us first. “Reminder: not only have you prefer to get pals together, however they did the same! Your friends all love and respect you. They make you feel good and laugh,” says Rice.
- Making new friends keeps your social (and dating) skills sharp.
Expanding your friend circle is a superb way to then add extra zest to your social and love life. “It could be you’ve started a new job and you start a conversation with Brad from accounting, or you’ve moved houses as well as your neighbors help you unpack. There are always new ways and opportunities to connect with new people. Expanding your social circle is an ongoing thing; you’re not bound to the pals you've made in your 20s,” says Rice. Not only does meeting new people keep your social skills sharp (making dates less intimidating), you always don't know who you're going to meet.
- Friends is going to be there for you.
You don’t require the intro to a extremely popular 90's TV show to let you know this. “When you’re low, you always have a friend to download onto and the other way around. So when you’re on a full of life, you've people to raise a glass with. Should you genuinely love seeing your pals, they can be a massive tonic of wellbeing for all of us,” says Rice. Dating is growing rapidly full of ups and downs, so having friends who are able to be your support system is crucial.