Making a friendship collage to celebrate National Best Friends Day.

What: Make a friendship collage 

Why: Friendships can have a major impact on our health and wellbeing. Research shows having friends lowers stress, reduces depression, improves cognitive functioning, increases motivation, boosts our careers – and can even help us live longer. Taking time to reflect on the qualities of friendships that you value can increase your appreciation of those relationships and deepen your understanding of ways you can develop and nurture connections.  

How: This is a great activity to do with others! Start by brainstorming qualities of good friendships. Include words that describe good friends, the feelings associated with having good friendships, activities you enjoy doing with friends, etc. Next, collect words, images, even items that represent your ideas. You can use pictures or text from old magazines, items gathered around the house or from nature, old greeting cards, even colored slips of paper. Using glue, arrange them in a collage on a large piece of paper.  Consider hanging the collage in an area where you and others can continue to contribute to it. Notice how it feels after devoting some time to focusing on friendship.