Thriving Romantic Relationships For Men

Strong friendships aren’t just a bonus in life—they’re a secret ingredient to thriving romantic relationships for men.

As a Dating and Relationship Coach for The Matchmaking Company, I come across a lot of lonely individuals. Frequently, the most lonely tend to be adult men. 

There are a multitude of reasons why men find it challenging to form new friendships after their school or college days come to an end: long work days, commute times, and family commitments make it challenging to connect with other adults in general, let alone form deep, quality connections.

In this article, I will discuss the benefits of having strong adult friendships as an adult male, and why they are essential for the health of your romantic relationship.

Why Friendships Are Key to Relationship Success

I want to share a recent client experience to illustrate how making your partner your only confidant can sink a relationship faster than the Titanic. My client, who I will call Jennifer, was experiencing major life challenges at the same time as her boyfriend Craig. While Jennifer was able to turn to her other friendships and create a balance of sharing difficult emotions with Craig while also leaving room for joy and romance in their relationship, Craig did not have any other outlets to turn to. 

Since Craig had nobody else to talk to, he struggled to respect Jennifer’s boundaries around what she could take on mentally for him. She began to feel like an emotional dumping ground and an escape rather than someone who was valued as an equal partner, deserving of her own mental space when necessary. 

Eventually, the strain was too much on the relationship and she was forced to end it entirely. 

Challenges of forming healthy adult male friendships

Many men I talk to have a few friends, but feel uncomfortable sharing deep feelings or their struggles. I often hear men say they don’t want to “burden” their friends with their problems. This often comes down to feelings of needing to be “tough” and “unemotional” to be perceived as masculine.

As discussed in this Psychology Today article,  Why So Many Men Struggle with Their Emotions, Assael Romanelli Ph.D., points out that “boys are born just as sensitive as girls. But through the socialization process, boys lose permission to feel and become disconnected from their core.” 

Just remembering that this is conditioned and something that can be unlearned can be a helpful starting point.

Benefits to fostering deeper relationships with other adult men

Besides contributing to the health of your romantic relationships, taking the time to nurture strong and supportive friendships as an adult male is good for your health and well-being. Here are a few more reasons to carve out the time and make the effort to form and maintain quality friendships later in life:

• Improved mental health: Having a supportive network of male friends can reduce stress and guard against depression and anxiety.
• Improved physical health: Studies suggest that maintaining strong, supportive friendships can enhance physical health by lowering blood pressure, reducing cortisol, and improving heart health.
• A boost to self-esteem: Feeling understood and valued by other men can boost self-worth.
• Life satisfaction: Having close male friends can contribute to a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose in life.
• Increased resilience and coping mechanisms:
  Male friendships can provide a platform to discuss challenges and develop healthy coping strategies. 

Are you ready to begin your journey to better health and relationships?

As you can see, there are a multitude of benefits to forming and maintaining strong friendships as an adult man. The mental, physical, and social benefits can not be stressed enough and they are vital to the success of any romantic relationship. If you are struggling with figuring out how to connect with other adult men I would love to assist you in seeking out and nurturing meaningful friendships. You can book a free consultation with me here.