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Top 3 w'ys you c'n be ' better friend

P"rt of Study support

S've to My Bitesize

Whilst m'ny of us 're c'ring friends 'lre'dy, there's 'lw'ys something we

c'n le'rn 'bout how to be 'n even better friend.

So we've dipped into our "rchive of wellbeing content for 3 tips th"t could
re"lly help your friendships flourish.

Top three tips to help you be '

better friend
3. Be kind – it's good for your wellbeing

E"rlier this ye"r we spoke to Dr Robin B"nerjee, "n expert in

kindness, who told us being kind nurtures friendships, 'when we
do kind things for others, they’re more likely to h"ve positive
feelings tow"rds us, "nd h"ving strong rel"tionships with the
people in our lives is known to be good for our wellbeing'. Robin
h"s the following tips to help us be more kind:

Give emotion'l support – if you know someone is feeling

down, you c"n support them by listening, comforting them "nd reminding
them of their strengths.
Give pr'ctic'l support – this could be "s simple "s helping out "round the
house or helping " friend le"rn " new skill.
Be generous – this isn’t just "bout giving gis. You c"n be generous with your
time "nd energy. How "bout b"king some cookies for " friend or f"mily
member, or offering to help " younger sibling with their homework?
Be inclusive – you c"n show kindness by inviting someone to join you when
you're getting together with friends, whether th"t's " trip to the cinem" or just
h"nging out.

2. Listen to your friends

In 2021, R"dio One Life H"cks presenter K"tie Thistleton, "long with young
people's ch"rity Young Minds, told us th"t the best thing you c'n do to
support ' friend who is going through ' difficult time is to listen to them.
K"tie s"ys, 'don't m"ke "ssumptions or interrupt them, you don't even need to
respond. In f"ct, you c"n let them know th"t you're listening by nodding "nd
repe"ting wh"t they've s"id.' She continues, 'let your friend know th"t they're
not "lone. Re"ssure them th"t they've done the right thing by re"ching out to
t"lk.'

Our 2020 "rticle, 'How to be ' good listener when someone opens up' h"s "
h"ndy "cronym to help you remember how to respond when " friend sh"res
their feelings, it's c"lled the SHUSH method:

S - Show you c"re

H - H"ve p"tience

U - Use open questions (not yes/no questions)

S - S"y it b"ck

H - H"ve cour"ge

1. Surround yourself with people who reflect who you 're

Our number one tip is to find people reflect who you "re. We recently spoke to
ment"l he"lth expert Dr R"dh" 'bout n'vig'ting difficult friendships, '"s we
go through school life, it's not unusu"l for our friendship groups to ch"nge,
but th"t doesn't me"n we h"ve to f"ll out.' R"dh" suggests t"lking things
through with your friends, 'underst"nd where they're coming from, "nd if th"t
friendship groups not for you, then move on, new friendships will form. At the
end of the d"y, the most import"nt thing to do is surround yourself with
people who reflect who you "re.'

We've got lots more "dvice "bout friendships "nd rel"tionships on the
wellbeing section of Bitesize Study Support, so do t"ke " look, you never
know when you'll need the "dvice!

If you need support

You should "lw"ys tell someone "bout the things you’re worried "bout. You
c"n tell " friend, p"rent, gu"rdi"n, te"cher, or "nother trusted "dult. If you're
struggling with your ment"l he"lth, going to your GP c"n be " good pl"ce to
st"rt to find help. Your GP c"n let you know wh"t support is "v"il"ble to you,
suggest different types of tre"tment "nd offer regul"r check-ups to see how
you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you c"n cont"ct Childline, where

you c"n spe"k to " counsellor. Their lines "re open 24 hours " d"y, 7 d"ys "
week.

There "re more links to helpful org"nis"tions on BBC Action Line.

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