Are you a teen that is struggling with building meaningful connections? Not all of us are as sociable as others and sometimes this can make it difficult to build connections with friends or peers. When we have connections with friends, we can feel a sense of belongingness. Connections with our family are important too, but those with friends can help us through important developmental stages.
When going through challenging times, friends can be of great support and can help us understand how to navigate and have faith within ourselves. The deeper of connections that teens have with their friends, the happier they will become. Our mental health during teenage years is extremely important and better connections can help increase our mental health and well-being.
There are many benefits to having meaningful friendships and connections as a teen, such as feelings of acceptance, more self-esteem, and more optimism. There are ways that we can help on building meaningful connections. Finding friends with similar interests, values, and beliefs are important for these connections.
The importance of building teen connections:
- They help increase our optimism and sense of belongingness
The more connections we have with friends as a teen that are supportive and accepting, the more optimism and sense of belongingness we will have.
- They help lower anxiety and increase happiness
As a teen, we face many challenges and decisions. Friends can help us through these challenges, which can greatly reduce anxiety and increase our happiness and mental health.
- They can help us going into emerging adulthood
When we do not have strong connections and friendships as a teen, this can lead to short term friendships that do not last past high school. Strong friendships can last many years and can help us through the transitions from a teenager to adulthood.
- They can help us make better decisions as a teen
As a teenager we are pressured into doing many things. Strong friendships can help us from making bad decisions and not fall into peer pressure.
- They can help us create emotional & problem-solving skills
Our connection with others is what helps us regulate our emotions based off the support we have from others. These connections can also help us make decisions and increase our skills with solving problems.
Ways to build meaningful connections/friendships as a teen
- Understand what a true friend looks like to you
A true friend is different for everyone and can be very hard to find. Is a true friend someone who supports you, tells you the truth, likes the same things you do, etc.?
- Join a club or sport that interests you
It is easier to build strong connections with people that share similar interests. If you enjoy softball, playing for your school’s softball team can help you create friendships with other people of similar interests.
Going into any relationship with this understanding will help you see what is important for a strong connection. It also allows us to spot important characteristics in others.
- Surround yourself with people that encourage you to be your best self
Not all people are going to encourage you to do good things. People that encourage us to be our true and best self, help us create meaningful connections with those that have our best interest at heart.
- Surround yourself with those who have similar values & interests
Values can show who we are and the standards we hold ourselves and others to. It also shows what is important to us, which shows that what is important to us may be important to our friends as well.
No matter if you are an introvert, do not feel like you have any hobbies or interests, it is still important to start searching and working towards gaining strong connections and friendships. Those that lack meaningful connections can have increased anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, struggle with facing challenges, and much more. Work towards building these connections now so that you have more meaningful connections going into adulthood.
Remember that it is not about the number of friends that you have, but the quality of friends that you have. If you struggle with building connections or making friends, speak to your parents about talking to a therapist or joining group therapy. Teen therapists are trained and able to help you conquer these stages of your life without feeling like you are alone.
