The Difference Between High-Maintenance and Low-Maintenance Friendships
Friendship is one of our favorite topics to cover on Balanced Black Girl. Whether we're discussing platonic intimacy, or the challenges of making new friends as an adult, we've had several episodes diving into the various ways friendships can impact our well-being.
Recently, I had Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, licensed therapist and creator of Therapy for Black Girls on the podcast to discuss the importance of friendships for our sense of belonging and well-being.
Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:
Being A Girl's Girl Is Good for Your Health
Are you familiar with the term "girl's girl?" Being a girl's girl essentially means you hold the best interests of other women and girls to a high standard, without resorting to competitiveness or cattiness. The concept of being a girl's girl is something Dr. Joy recently explored on her podcast, and was a topic I was excited to dig into with her.
Our biggest takeaway is that being a girl's girl is so much more than having people to go to brunch with -- it can have important health benefits as well. Here are some of the benefits of having strong female friendships:
- More effective leadership skills and a higher likelihood of business success
- A longer lifespan and greater chance at recovering from breast cancer
- Greater sense of happiness and positivity
- Decreased risk of dementia
Essentially, having consistent social ties and the ability to rely on friends during stressful periods of life has been linked to greater health outcomes.
High-Maintenance and Low-Maintenance Friendships Are Subjective
Debates about high-maintenance vs. low-maintenance friendships have picked up steam on social media in recent years, with people of all vantage points sharing their opinions. Dr. Joy and I discussed the idea of high-maintenance vs. low-maintenance friendships, and ultimately found that one is not superior to the other because everyone defines high-maintenance and low-maintenance differently.
Some people may see texting or calling daily as "too high maintenance" while others may feel monthly check-ins with their friends aren't enough, or that they need more support. The key takeaway is to understand what your friendship and communication needs are, establish bonds with those who are compatible, and communicate your needs and boundaries.
Watch the full episode on YouTube:
The Difference Between Friendship, Sisterhood, and Community
Terms like friendship, sisterhood, and community are often used interchangeably, but are they all truly the same thing? According to Dr. Joy, there are nuances between the three.
She says friendship is an intentional relationship that is maintained by two or more people. Meanwhile sisterhood signifies a greater to connection to women on a global scale. Community on the other hand, is about how we relate to other humans in our daily lives.
If you haven't already, be sure to check out our episode with Dr. Joy for the full conversation, and check out our other friendship and relationship content here.