How to Build Strong Relationships: 10 Practical Tips

There are many different kinds of relationships—acquaintances, relatives, neighbors, friends, and family. We’re social beings, and without the relationships in our lives, it would be hard to thrive.

However, not all relationships are good relationships—and that’s ok. Not everyone fits everyone’s frequency, but what’s not OK, though, is if the relationships we have are unfulfilling or unhealthy.

Many people tend to build shallow relationships these days, and that’s the main reason why most of them don’t make us feel good because for a relationship to be successful, it needs depth.

Luckily, you can learn skills on how to build strong, healthy relationships because building relationships is nothing more than a skill anyone can master. The more we practice it, the better we get at it!

Here are some of the tips you can try to start building meaningful relationships:

1. Learn To Listen
2. Ask Questions
3. Pay Attention To Your Body Language
4. Practice Empathy
5. Network
6. Learn Emotional Intelligence
7. Learn When To Be Vulnerable
8. Spend Time With Others Doing What You Both Enjoy
9. Be A Person Of Integrity
10. Look Into Online Opportunities

Learn To Listen

Listening is a crucial part of any relationship, but surprisingly, not everyone knows how to listen. Nobody likes to be interrupted or having someone they’re talking to looking around the room or staring at their phone. Make eye contact and face the person you’re talking to. The more you’re actually listening, the more both you and the person you’re speaking to will be drawn to the conversation. Listening is one of the key tools if you’re wondering how to maintain a healthy relationship.

Ask Questions

This might be obvious but also very hard for many of us. When we’re engaged in a conversation, we tend to share our similar experiences when we hear the story or instantly want to give advice or solutions. Most of the time, all that the person we’re in communication with wants us to do is listen and ask questions. Before the question, the intro might be repeating what the person said to confirm you understood them correctly, and then ask questions. Get curious and try to find the reasoning behind the problem if there is a problem.

Pay Attention To Your Body Language

If you think about it closely, most communication is nonverbal. Paying attention to your body language and the person you’re speaking to can tell you a lot about what they’re going through or how they’re feeling. Often, the person we’re talking to might be tense or uncomfortable talking about something, and instead of saying it out loud, they’re usually signaling it to you. When you start noticing the body language, it will be easier for you to know how others feel.

Practice Empathy

Show that you care and understand. This is easily done by repeating what the person said to make sure you understand and also to give them the feeling of being listened to and being seen. You might say something like, “You must be so excited for…!” That way, the person you’re talking to will know you’re listening and will feel more comfortable and safe during the conversation.

Network

Go out and meet new people. The more people you meet, the more chances you’ll find someone to build a strong relationship with because you have to have a couple of boxes checked—for example, you’ll connect more efficiently with someone who shares your interests, values, and personality.

Learn Emotional Intelligence

When we’re talking about success in life, EQ is just as important as IQ. According to Helpguide, Emotional intelligence (or emotional quotient—EQ) is the “ability to use and understand your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.” The way that your IQ will help you get in college, your EQ will help you manage stress and the mix of emotions when approaching your exams.

Learn When To Be Vulnerable

Nobody is perfect, but still, many people try to come off as they are. They hide their failures and all of their shortcomings at the risk of embarrassing themselves. Showing your vulnerability will make for a deeper connection to other people because humans connect with other humans, not ideals. If you’re trying to be perfect all the time, you’ll appear rather as a statue than an actual human.

Spend Time With Others Doing What You Both Enjoy

Spending time with your friends and family is one of the most important ways to deepen the relationship and make it more meaningful. Doing fun things you both enjoy together will not only raise your vibration but will also make a substantial impact on your relationship with that person, and you will get a chance to get to know each other on a more personal and intimate level. Being happy together is key here.

Be A Person Of Integrity

Having integrity would mean being in alignment with yourself. Integrity is basically walking the talk! When you do what you say and stand behind your words and actions, you have integrity.

Trust is built on integrity. When people know they can trust you’ll do something you promised you did, they feel deeply connected to you. Trust is also vital for strong relationships—personal as well as professional. As much as it might seem like a challenge sometimes, always have integrity. People appreciate the honesty and knowing they can trust you. Keep your promises and try not to let people down.

Look Into Online Opportunities

There are so many ways to meet new people, build new relationships, and strengthen the old ones. We’ve all had some restrictions blocking us from doing anything social and having fun with and around our friends during pandemics. Looking into online opportunities to do that is a great way to spend some quality time with your friends while keeping your distance and being socially responsible. Cooking classes are a great example of a fun thing you can do with your friends. Now that everyone has pivoted online, there’s so much more you can experience from your home. Airbnb started offering experiences as soon as the pandemic hit. Whatever you do, make it fun and make sure you all enjoy it.