Men’s Friendships Can Change
Friendships can change quietly as we move through adult life. There doesn’t always have to be an argument or a falling out — sometimes life simply gets busy and people gradually drift apart.
Work, relationships, children, moving home and everyday responsibilities can take over. Before you realise it, seeing a close friend every week has become every few months, conversations have moved online, and “we really should catch up” is something you keep saying but never quite manage to arrange.
I think this is particularly important when we talk about men’s mental health because friendships can provide something we don't always recognise until it's missing — connection, belonging and somebody outside our everyday responsibilities who simply knows us.
Sometimes men only meet friends around an activity, sport or event. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it can mean there isn't always an opportunity to talk about what is really happening in each other's lives.
And you don't have to wait until you're struggling to reconnect.
Send the message. Arrange the coffee. Suggest the walk.
You might discover that the friend you've been meaning to contact has been thinking exactly the same thing.
Friendship, like every meaningful relationship, sometimes needs a little attention to keep it going.
So if somebody came into your mind while you were reading this, perhaps that's your reminder.
Make the first move.
That one message might mean more to both of you than you realise.
Maggie
Space to Breathe Therapy
