Strengthen your bonds and find out what kind of friend you are with this weeklong friendship tuneup.
Published Updated
Friendship is healing. It helps improve long-term physical and mental health and can enhance daily well-being. But there’s evidence our social circles are shrinking. In 1990, 3 percent of Americans said they had no close friends; in 2021, that number jumped to 12 percent. Around much of the world, people are in the middle of a well-documented loneliness crisis.
The good news is, experts say, it’s relatively easy to improve your friendships. So we worked with researchers and therapists to create a five-day challenge that will help you revive wilted relationships and bring you closer to the people you value.
Starting June 10, we’ll send you one evidence-based strategy a day to help you strengthen your friendships — all of which are quick and simple (because we know how busy you are).
By the end of the week, you’ll feel more connected to your friends, and you’ll have the tools to keep those bonds strong.
What you’ll get:
Each day of the challenge will offer a brief, simple exercise to help you strengthen your platonic bonds.
How to access the challenge:
To receive each day’s challenge, sign up for the Well newsletter, which is available exclusively to New York Times subscribers. You’ll get a new exercise in your inbox each morning from June 10 to 14.
If you already receive the Well newsletter, you will automatically get the challenge, and will not see a way to sign up above. You can find out which newsletters you are signed up for here.