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The dos and don’ts of adult friendships

I'll be there for youuuu

Hey pals! Nothing says the first day of spring in the Midwest more than getting three inches of snow last week. Am I right?!

Song of the day: We’re talking all about adult friendships in this week’s edition, so of course, we’re throwing on the best TV show theme song ever created, “I’ll Be There For You,” to do it.

The Dos and Don’ts of Adult Friendships

A healthy friendship requires work and effort from both sides, which can be challenging as we get older, move away, and try to figure out this silly little thing we call life.

From FaceTimes to fallouts, navigating it all can be stressful and overwhelming at times. So to help, we’re sharing a few friendship dos and don’ts to try and avoid any Jeanne Claude Van Damme-like situations.

DO recognize what you need in a friend. Like romantic relationships, friendships should be positive and beneficial for both sides. The fun party friend who you used to split Four Lokos with in college (🫣) may not have turned into the supportive and encouraging friend you need today, and that’s okay! Determining what you need in a friend will help you 1) evaluate what’s serving (and no longer serving) you in your current friendships and 2) help you know what you need when making new buds.

DON’T take it personally. Some of us are good at reaching out to our friends. Others? Not so much. One thing to remember? Not everyone is going to handle things like you! Just because you reach out and don’t hear back right away doesn’t mean your friend is mad at you. Chances are they just haven’t had time to listen to your 10-minute voice note about your horrendous Hinge date. Give your friendships a little grace; life’s moving a mile a minute for all of us!

DO communicate your feelings. If you continuously feel uneasy about a friendship, say something! I had a friend who wasn’t acknowledging my calls for a while, and I ended up telling them how it made me feel. Being the good friend that they are, they were able to 1) hear out my feelings and frustrations and 2) communicate back to me what was going on.

Remember, you can’t expect anyone to know how you’re feeling unless you communicate it!

DON’T ghost. We get it; life is busy! And we’re all guilty of missing a call/text or just needing a few minutes to our dang selves tbh. But going Houdini on someone because 1) you don’t want to be friends anymore or 2) you suck at communicating, isn’t usually the answer. (Editor’s note: there are exceptions to this!)

• If your feelings about a friendship with someone you respect have changed, as hard as it may be, they at least deserve some sort of communication.

• If you’re bad at responding, set 10 minutes aside daily to get back to those reaching out. A simple “Hey, I saw that you called! I’m super busy this week, but I’ll try you soon,” text can stop your friend from spiraling and thinking they did something to deserve your silence.

Of course, our friendships have changed since the days of sleepovers and prank phone calls, but we all need them to help us through whatever curveballs life throws at us… even if they take a little more work these days.

Got a Q for us to A? Submit yours here.

Sponsored by Digital Summit

Is This Thing On? 🎤 
Digital Summit Chicago

My awkward teenage self would’ve never thought a room full of strangers would want my advice…but here we are here!

I’ll be speaking (while definitely not knowing what to do with my hands) at Digital Summit Chicago (April 3-4)! Alongside leaders from companies including McDonalds, Condé Nast, and Google, we’ll chat about all things marketing, including social media, ofc!  

From strategy to inclusivity and everything in between, the 25+ training sessions will teach you tips and tricks to navigate today’s marketing world…and maybe even help you snag that promotion??

Our friends at Digital Summit Chicago rock and made us our own promo code if you want to come hang! Use code WORKDAZE to get $200 off. 

P.S. Make sure to come and say hi if you’ll be there! 

Things To Send in the Group Chat

…as you watch Friends in the background during work.

So, like... what’s your forever emotional support song? Reply and let us know!

“This was the film that changed my life!” Anne Hathaway got emotional on set with Vogue watching some of her old movies, including The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada. ❤️

Homemade Big Mac sauce?! Say less. These Burger Bowls by @ErinLivesWhole on Instagram are on our grocery list for dinner this week. Let us know if you’ve tried them!

That’s all for this edition! Thanks so much for taking the time to hang with us today. We’ll catch you back here next week!

—Rod & Gabi

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