The people you can’t afford to live without in the new year–friends! It’s the start of a new year and all the resolutions can feel overwhelming. Sprinkle in some winter blues and January is a war zone for keeping your head above water before the year has even really started. It’s easy to put friendship on the bottom of your list when life gets busy. But those feelings of overwhelm, stress, and frustration can actually be remedied by being with your friends.

Author Tom Rath studied successful adults coming out of bad situations and noted that the biggest factor in those who endured through the hardships of life versus those who succumbed to them were the healthy friendships in their life (or lack thereof).

Ecclesiastes 4:10-11 sums this idea up this way:

“Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.”

Your friends directly impact your progress. Whether you have big lofty goals this year or just want to maintain your healthy habits…making time for friends is going to get you through the new year slump.

We endure tough things together.

Take a self-friendship-assessment:

are you making quality time for friends amid the hard things you’re walking through? Sometimes, it doesn’t even need to be really hard things; just the mundane pace of life can feel overwhelming. Especially coming back to the day-to-day after a holiday break. If you aren’t sharing time and conversation with friends, what have been your most recent thoughts and emotions? Are they negative? Defeated? Discouraged?

If you have been spending time communicating with friends regularly and spending time together—what does your day-to-day feel like? Supported? Happier? Hopeful?

Tending to our friendships should be at the top of our to-do lists this year.

Need some inspiration for new year friendship ideas; check out my list of friendship resolution ideas here.