It can feel somewhat disingenuous in the social media age, showing someone you really care. Because we spend most of our time on our smartphones, and sending a simple birthday message takes a couple of seconds of our time, does it feel like, for you, that when you’re trying to really make someone know that you care, it’s not particularly effective? Even if we spend time away from our partners, or you live in each other’s pockets, do you really need to spend time on social media to show them that you care? Some people feel that they have to show their well meaning platitudes on Facebook as well as in person. But, some people may think you haven’t sent a well wish at all! So, if you are trying to spend more time away from social media, and show the people in your life that you really care about them, without resorting to a message on social media, what’s the best way to do this?
Best Friend Gift Box
Take An Interest In Their Interests
One of the best ways to make an effort to win someone over is to show them that you are taking an interest in their interests. We can feel lumbered with things we don’t really care about, and we are, seemingly, forced to try their hobbies. But, if you care about someone, and you don’t show an interest in their activities, then this could form a very difficult relationship. If somebody matters to you, then it’s easy enough to show you care by taking an active interest in what they like. We can all feel like that we shouldn’t make an effort if they don’t make an effort for us. This is a very bad thought process. Call it “do unto others”, or “care about everyone”, but whatever your attitude is towards others, especially those close to you, show an active interest!
Give Them Attention
Everybody knows the difference when you are focused on them, or if you are just paying lip service. It can be very demoralizing if you find that people are just talking to you, but not actively listening. And, this is such a simple way to show someone you care, and all it requires is sheer 100% focus. It’s so easy to hide behind the screen in the social media age, or scroll back through your conversations to see what they actually like, but if you are present with them, this is the best way to show someone you care. It has benefits for you also! Learning how to focus means you are taking a much more active interest in the other person, but it’s a fantastic way to wake your brain up.
Give Them Little Gifts
Granted, nowadays, giving a gift to someone can be quite a task to navigate. If you’ve been in a relationship with someone for so long, you might find it more difficult with every passing year to find the right gift. But sometimes, it’s not about the quality of the gift, but the fact that you are showing them you care. I have one friend from college who is such a fun pen pal! We tend to send each other funny little gifts and cards and it’s a great way to stay extra connected, even though we text quite often already!
Personalized gifts are a great little way to show someone that appreciation, you can head to ZoeysPersonalizedGifts.com and get some ideas for a little something to show the person in your life that to you care. Little gifts, or tokens of affection can sound like something that a man would give to his partner if you did something wrong, but in fact, it’s something that both partners can do. From their favorite candy, to a little book, these things show them you are thinking about them.
Give Them Some Space
Sometimes we can feel that we are being stifled, or we are just one of those people who requires a bit of alone time. It’s a difficult terrain to navigate, especially if you are past the honeymoon phase in your relationship. There are hints on LovePanky.com to show how to give someone space, but it can be quite difficult. If you live together, giving someone space, because that’s what you think they need, but not communicating it, can cause problems. You might think they need some space, but in actual fact they want the opposite. This is why open and honest communication is always the best approach.
Socialize With Their Friends
Sometimes you need to bite your tongue, but it showing someone that you care about them by spending time with their friends, shows that you’re putting your own feelings aside and are focusing entirely on the whole package, not just the bubble you two are in. It can be completely one-sided on occasion, if you are showing your partner or friend that you care enough about your relationship, but they don’t reciprocate, and this can cause problems further down the line. But by having an open and honest approach to hanging out with their friends, it should, hopefully, show that they would be willing to reciprocate. It doesn’t always happen. But this is something that you might want to have a conversation about further down the line.
Go For New Things
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a great way for you both to work together. If you have been in a relationship for a while, it can get pretty stagnant. And although eating a tub of ice cream in your pajamas while watching Netflix is one of life’s little pleasures, if you do this all the time, you can very easily settle into a routine that is very hard to shake up once enough time has elapsed. We use money as a reason to not do things, but there are things you can do that don’t have to cost money! Sure, having a meal together is great, but you can go for nice walks, spend time in the park, or actually cook a meal together at home. It doesn’t have to be Michelin star quality food, but the fact that you’ve both made the effort to be together and work together on making this meal, it just shows that little bit more consideration.
Don’t Be Afraid To Have Different Opinions
The best of friends don’t always get along, and whether it’s a relationship, or your friendship, being honest in how much you hate The Big Bang Theory might finally open up some proper conversation. Sometimes, this is what clears the air, and accepting that you have different opinions. Nobody has to agree on everything all of the time. And also, a healthy debate is a perfect way to burrow under the skin of your significant other, in a nice way! Having a discussion with diametrically opposed opinions is much easier in person. There is so many arguments that occur on social media or text that this what are the main ways that the messages get misconstrued. Instead, having a proper debate in person, doesn’t just show the other person that you are happy with having a different opinion, but in fact, relish healthy debate. Debates online turns into fights too quickly, and this is one of the things you really need to avoid so you don’t get misconstrued opinions.
Tell Them In Person You Care
Who’d of thought it?! Telling them you care trumps any disingenuous social media message! And yes, while it’s nice to have a message on social media, it means a lot more if it’s done in person. Either, do it over the phone, or in front of your friends. This is a great way to show how earnest you are. A sincere expression of your feelings for your other half, or your friends goes a long way. We spend time socializing now, but on our phones. And if this is the way things are going, are we going to completely do away with relating to someone interpersonally? And this is why it’s important to show someone you care personally. While a message online isn’t disingenuous, it does show that the person sending the message isn’t making as much effort as they should. By showing someone in person how much you care about them, it’s going to go a long way to reinforce your relationship.
Yes, it can be very difficult in the social media age to reach out to someone properly. Because we have our own soapbox where we can communicate our thoughts on a whim, it can cause an oversaturation of “u ok hun” type messages. If people are in trouble, it’s far better for you to reach out to them personally. And yes, even though social media means we can send a well-meaning message to them, it doesn’t always provide the right outcome. If we could all show someone that we really care in the social media age by reaching out on a personal level, this will benefit everyone on this planet. It’s so easy to send a little message, but it means that we aren’t engaging in the real world. It’s been said a million times before, but if you can take the opportunity to put your phone down and speak to the person next to you, this is going to build bridges that will benefit everyone. Even in schools, there have been children who have sworn off social media, and they’ve had more meaningful relationships as a result, and have been happier. So, reach out, show someone you care.
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