As a woman who’s had her fair share of friends, I’ve come to realize that there are different types of female friendships that every woman needs. However, it’s not about how many friends you have but how valuable are your friends to you.
As you get older you realized is about the quality not the quantity of friends. There a 9 types of friendships all women should have as she moves into adulthood and beyond.
In fact, it takes all types of friendships in order to be happy. There are friends we need for companionship, as well as those who will help us through tough times, or the good friends we just need to share a laugh with. We will explore the different friendship types within this article and why they are important
WHY GOOD FRIENDS ARE IMPORTANT
One of the most important things in life is to have close female friendships. Good friends are there for you when you’re down, lonely, or stressed out. They can help you with anything including helping your mental and physical health.
Good friends provide you with a source of support, joy, laughter, inspiration, and fun. They also help you grow in areas that are important to you.
- Friends can be an encouragement when it comes to your career goals or other professional endeavors.
- Friends are there when we are down on ourselves and struggling with our day-to-day lives, and need an ear to listen
- Or some friends are needed when we just want to have fun and get away from our everyday responsibilities.
These types of friends will always be there for you no matter what happens in your life which makes them very valuable. You will find as you go through life that some friends will be there when you need them and others will disappear when you need them the most. ( but this is ok, it just weeds out people you don’t need in your life)
close friends are like family because without good friends in your life it can be very difficult to get through hard times and enjoy the special times. Having female friendships with women who support you and add value to your life can make all the difference in how you feel about yourself and the people around you.
Related: The Importance of Female Friendships
It’s important for every woman not just to have one but multiple types of friends at different stages throughout her life. Friendships help us grow and shape would we become, so it is best that you surround yourself with female friendships. Remember it’s not about how many friends you have but the quality of your female friends in your life.
Related: 7 pillars of wellness
1. THE BFF
The BFF is your best friend forever, and when you have one, you should hold onto them. They’re the ones that know everything about you, from all of your past embarrassing moments to your future plans to take over the world. They’re also the ones that are likely to be there for you no matter what kind of crap life deals you.
The best part about having a BFF is that they’ll always be honest with you — even if it’s hard truths that may hurt at the moment but are ultimately good for your growth as a person. A true BFF will have no problem telling you exactly what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to hear it herself!
2. THE LAUGHER
A good friend is the one who cheers you up when you’re feeling down. A great friend will make fun of your pessimism until it becomes optimism, then laugh at how much smarter they are than everyone else for seeing something funny in a situation that seemed so dark before.
Laughter is the best medicine for your body, mind, and soul. It has been proven to reduce stress, increase blood flow and release endorphins into the brain. When our bodies are happy we feel happier; it’s one of those things that just works!
Everyone women needs a friend that can find humor in any situation and bring positive energy into their life – Its is just good for the soul
3. THE ONE YOU CAN CRY TO
You know the one. The one who will listen to your problems, and help you deal with them in a constructive way. This type of friend cares about you and has enough wisdom and experience that they can offer advice based on their own life experiences. They are friends that will give you a hug when you need it most, and tell you that everything is going to be okay.
These types of female friendships develop over time with a person you feel is very trustworthy and will keep everything you tell them to themselves.
4. THE "JUST LIKE ME" FRIEND
The type of friend is just like you is the one who understands your world and has the same perspective on it as you do. This is a very important type of friendship because they can share your thoughts and feelings with them. They will understand you and will be able to relate to your experiences.
This kind of friend gives you a sense of comfort because they know what makes you tick, which means that they are more likely to give sound advice when needed as well or be up for the same kind of adventure when you feel like having fun.
5. THE CHEERLEADER
A cheerleader you guessed it is there to cheer you on when you are down or need encouragement. They are there for the high-five and the hug, not the pity party.
They don’t want to hear about how much you hate your body or whatever else is going wrong in your life; they just want to help remind you that it’ll all be okay in the end, whether that means tomorrow or next week or next month. Having a cheerleader can mean different things depending on who that person is, but ultimately it’s about having someone who is ready and willing to lift your spirits when you need a kick in the butt.
6. THE LISTNER
As the name implies, this is a friend who listens to you. They are not afraid to ask questions and let you know when they don’t understand. They give advice only when asked but won’t push their opinion on you if it’s not wanted.
A good listener will help guide your emotions when they are all over the place, or help put things into perspective by asking questions that make sense of everything in your mind. The listener understands that sometimes we just need someone to listen without judgment; this type of friendship can be life-saving!
7. THE MATE
Everyone needs a go-to person to let loose with. This type of friend knows all the best places to go when it’s time to have fun and live it up no matter what the occasion This female friendship is essential as you get older and have piled up a bunch of responsibilities.
They will usually be up for any adventure may it be going out on Friday night or spending the day at that new restaurant in town. They’re not above making fun of you when they think you need it and they aren’t afraid to tell someone off if they see some disrespecting you. They are there for you and there to have fun
8. THE SECRET KEEPER
It’s important to have someone in your life who you can trust with a secret. They aren’t just the person who hears your juicy gossip; they’re the one who will be there for you when you need them most.
They might not always agree with you, but they won’t go around telling other people what you said, They’ll respect your privacy and keep your secrets safe. This type of female friendship is essential to your mental health, things happen in life that for whatever reason can not tell everyone in our life. Having a good friend that we can confide in and not judge us can help us feel like we are not alone.
"I think a good friend, to me, is all about trust and loyalty. You don't ever want to second-guess whether you can tell your friend something."-Lauren Conrad
9. THE MENTOR
A mentor is someone who has more experience and/or knowledge than you and is willing to share it with you. A mentor could be a family member or friend (older or younger), a work colleague, a teacher or coach.
Mentors are people who will help guide you through life by giving advice and showing examples of how they have handled similar situations in their own lives. They may also point out things that could help improve your career path if they see any potential problems ahead of time.
FRIENDS TO AVOID
Some of the worst friendships are the ones that drain us and prevent us from growing and making positive changes in our lives.
How to know when someone is not a good friend is not for you:
- They are constantly negative.
- Have no time for you when you need them but expect you to be at their beck and call
- Is selfish and self-involved, and only cares about their problems and what they have going on in their life at all times.
- Is needy, always asking for help or money without offering any support back.
- Judges you unfairly based on your race/gender/sexuality etc., and gets defensive when you confront them about it
- They are jealous of you and make you feel bad for your achievements.
Avoid the negative friends at all costs, you don’t need them and don’t owe them anything.
Related: 13 effective ways to protect your energy from negative people
Negative friends are not only toxic to your well-being, but they also don’t do anything for you. These people don’t support your choices and make it clear they think they know what’s best for you. It’s better to surround yourself with a few positive people who will cheer you on when times get rough than people who want to bring you down at every opportunity.
5. DEVELOPING FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS IN ADULTHOOD
The most important thing to remember when finding friends is that you need to find the right fit. When you’re growing up, you may have the same group of friends who are all like each other and have similar interests and values.
But as adults your life changes and so do your needs for friendships. Find good friends who are different from you, who have different interests and hobbies than yourself. That way, they can offer a new perspective on things while still offering support through thick and thin.
In today’s day and age, it can be difficult to find these 9 types of friends as an adult. Friendships are formed on the basis of shared interests, values, and beliefs. Many people don’t realize that there is a difference between being a friend, having friends, and being someone who has friends. A person who values friendship more than anything else will always look for ways to stay connected with people in their life even when life gets hard or difficult times arise.
I’m not gonna lie, making friends as a grown adult can deem daunting, but not impossible. These are a few suggestions on how to find good friends
- Join a sports team. Most towns have at least one adult sports league, and if you can’t find one, you can start your own!
- Join a class. Learning new things will keep the brain working and the mind sharp—and who knows what kind of lifelong friendships might develop as well.
- Find a book club or book group. These types of groups are great for reading enthusiasts who want to talk about books with like-minded people
- Find friend groups on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others. These days, you can find just about anything online—including friends!
- Sign up for meetup.com. there are lots of social groups you can join and meet like-minded people.
The most important thing to remember when it comes finding friends—especially as an adult—is that they are everywhere. Take a look around your workplace and see if there is anyone you haven’t spoken with much but might be open to having coffee or lunch with! You may find yourself surprised at how many people are waiting for someone else to strike up a conversation first.
The Take Away
You don’t need to have a large group of good friends to have a healthy female friendship base. You are just the right people in your life that you can trust and be yourself around.
certain types of friends will come into our life when we need them or they need us and part ways when our lives drift in other directions. You don’t need to have these 9 types of female friendships at once, but you do need a mixture of these essential female friendships to help you enjoy life.
