Jessica Gebauer
Owner & Founder at Krysset
6 Ways to Nurture & Strength Your Female Friendships
In honor of Galentine's Day
Did you see the episode of Parks & Rec where Leslie throws a Galentine’s Day brunch for all the ladies in her life that she loves? It was epic.
Celebrating our female friendships is something we need to do MORE because they deserve it and should be recognized for all the goodness those relationships bring to our lives.
So, in honor of Miss Knope, all my female friends, and yours here are six ways to nurture & strengthen your female friendships!
If you asked me 10 years ago about my female friendships I would have told you I didn’t have very many.
In my early 30’s (~6 years ago) I began to have lots of close female relationships through a new job. Over the last few years I’ve kept, deepened, and expanded many of those relationships. Now that I have a real sense of what it means to have Gal Pals and it's truly wonderful.
I simply wouldn’t be where I am today without them, especially with Krysset! They’ve been here every step of the way for me. They make everyday better!
So when you find friends that do that for you, HANG TIGHT, O.K.?!
Whether you’d like to nurture existing friendships or make new connections, I hope you can use these tips toauthenticallyconnect and make these relationships some of the best in your life. Because you’re worth it and so are they.
1. Lift Them Up (No matter what!)
My group of girlfriends are really good at listening to each other’s issues over and over again. I truly say this in the most loving way because I know they’re listening to mine, too, and I’m SO thankful for it.
To lift up another person, be caring, positive, sympathetic, and giving of yourself is tough sometimes. But life has a way of giving you strength when someone else may not have it.
So encourage your friends, celebrate their accomplishments, love the things they love, be helpful, and lift them up.
Your friendsneed you plus it's good for your soul and theirs... and one day, you’ll need it, too.
A little sun with friends is always good!
2. Say “I love you.”
I was listening to an episode of Simon Sinek’s podcast when at the end of his interview, he told his male guest “I love you.” and they ended the conversation.
It was a beautiful moment.
Saying “I love you.” to people outside of your S.O. and immediate family isn’t all that common but those 3 little words are powerful. They express feelings, create connections and deepen your bond with another person.
They should be used more often!
I began saying “I love you!” (or “Love you!”) more with friends and my siblings over the last few years. It's a rewarding experience and a moment you can both look back on with fondness.
Galentine’s Day is the perfect time to go out on a limb– be it the 1st or 100th time you’ve said it– and tell your friends that you love them.
You need it. They need it. And the look in their eyes or the break in their voice will let you know, they love you, too.
3. Randomly Reach Out (with no strings attached)
“Hey! Just thinking of you and saying hi!” …. Have you ever gotten a text like that out of the blue? They’re so wonderful, right?!
Taking a few seconds to say hi is a small thing that leads to more connection and opens up conversations. It's uncomplicated but meaningful.
Many times a little “hey!” from a friend has really made my day– heck, even made my whole week.
Of course, your friends are going to be there for you when you need advice or a shoulder to cry on but when you reach out without a need of your own (aka no strings attached!) to see how they’re doing it nurtures your relationship and puts your friend first.
So write that text, make a quick call, send a gift, pop by their house or shoot over a DM but make sure it's about them and not about you!
4. Set Aside Time to be Together
Hmm? What’s that? …. You have kids? Work? Gym? Dogs? Errands? Family? Spouse? Commute? Vacation? Doctor’s appointment? ….
Creating strong, healthy relationships with your Gal Pals takes commitment but it shouldn’t feel like a burden. Make the time you spend together with friends as effortless as you can so it fits into your life.
That way it will happen more often!
Most of my closest friends live far away so meeting on Zoom or chatting on the phone is how we connect.
I pop in my airpods and talk to my sister while walking my dogs. I meet weekly on Zoom with two friends who also have businesses. I attend online work sessions with friends and have phone check-ins while making dinner.
Local friends join me for walks, meet for coffee or wine and pop by Krysset to say hi and shop!
If it's hard for them to meet away from home, I go to them. I’m happy to just sit and chit-chat for an hour while their kids are doing homework.
In the end, it really doesn’t matter where or how you meet up with your friend(s),you just have to do it!
"I founded Krysset because I wanted to create connections. The more I open myself up to the world and allow myself to be vulnerable in it, I find there are infinite connections to be made."
5. Acknowledge Them
This is akin to lifting your friends up but in a different way. You must acknowledge your friends to create an authentically strong relationship and close connection.
If a friend mentions a raise at work and you blow by it without pause you may not break a relationship but you certainly aren’t strengthening it.
To acknowledge a friend means speaking up and recognizing their hard work, their problems, their interests, their accomplishments, their happiness (and yes, even failures), and helping them see it, too!
Here’s a quick example… In Oct. of 2020, I quit my job to open a business. I had no name, no website, no solid concept for the business, just a real passion for creatively made products.
In Jan. of 2021, I hit the pavement and worked towards opening Krysset (we all know what happened right after that *eh hem* pandemic, lockdown, etc. etc.). I launched Krysset online in March, then a retail shop in Yardley, PA in September. I worked my butt off from nothing to a very big something in less than 12 months… but I was already downplaying that work.
My good friends Ana and Nicole– the same friends I meet with every Monday to talk shop –stopped me in my tracks and said “Jess, you have accomplished SO much in the past year. You didn’t have a business last January, girl!!! You rocked it out!”
They acknowledge my hard work, determination, and accomplishments when I wasn’t.
That’s what true friends do and I’m lucky to have that in my life.
Now just think, YOU have the power to do that for someone, too!
6. Be Vulnerable (Let them be vulnerable, too.)
Know that a good friend will always be there for you. Ask them for help, cry, be angry, complain about everything, and show your true feelings. And in turn, let them do the same.
You won’t always agree about why they’re upset or maybe you think they’re overreacting, but that’s not the point. The point is to allow it to happen because, at that moment, your friend needs to be vulnerable.
It takes trust and courage to be vulnerable. In a moment when you show vulnerability, you are saying to your friend “I trust YOU. I need YOU. You’re the one I’ve turned to for help.”
I founded Krysset because I wanted to create connections. The more I open myself up to the world and allow myself to be vulnerable in it, I find there are infinite connections to be made.
The more I stick to that core value, the more joy, and happiness I find.
I hope nurturing your friendships will bring you deeper and more meaningful connections in your own life this Galentine’s Day and for many years to come.
Happy Galentine’s Day, friend!
Cheers,
Jess
Leave a comment (all fields required)