It’s International Day of Friendship (30 July)! Celebrate your good friendships by recognising these three green flags that indicate a healthy and positive relationship. 

Green flag #1: Friends who respect your boundaries 

Boundaries are important for any relationship. Setting boundaries will not only protect your personal space, but it will also prevent others from taking advantage of you. Having someone around who honours them is an integral part of any important friendship.  

“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, a boundary means me setting limits, creating distance’. Actually, boundaries are the best way to create closeness and connection. When you communicate clearly and directly with friends about what’s ok and what isn’t, you know the lay of the land with them so you can behave in a way that creates trust in the friendship … [and] so you can feel trusting of them in the relationship,” explains psychotherapist Allison Perks.  

@terranostrastudios First time for our client to invite her friends to her pre-debut Photoshoot! Nothing beats celebrating your birthday surrounded by your besties. 💖 PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Notice how the set is full of reflective surfaces? We used a star filter to add sparkles for the ✨BEJEWELLED✨ vibe. 📸 #debutphotoshoot #debutideas #debutoutfitideas #photographytips #photographytrends #photographytricks #photographyaesthetic #howtopose #poseideas #terranostrastudios ♬ Bejeweled – Taylor Swift

Green flag #2: Friends who accept you for who you are  

The best feeling to have when spending time with a good friend? You can completely be yourself – without the fear of judgement. “A good friend is someone who will unconditionally accept you as you are, but will never be afraid to tell you the unpleasant truth of a situation or your behavior,” says Lisa Orban, author of It’ll Feel Better When It Quits Hurting. See? Now you can finally admit that you’re a secret #Swiftie and play “Shake It Off” on full blast. Chances are that your good friend knew already, anyway.  

Also read: How To Connect With Friends Who’ve Gone Quiet

Green flag #3: Friends who celebrate you 

We celebrate ourselves and our romantic partners, so why not celebrate our friendships? When your friends excel at something, you should not only be proud, but celebrate their wins with them. “When they succeed, we feel like we succeed. That’s what happens when intimacy goes right. A good friend should be happy for you and your success. They don’t try to cut you down,” says Dr Franco, author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends.  

@heymisskelsey Reply to @agatgssss hope this helps #friendshipadvice #advice #boundaries #TurboTaxAlphorn ♬ original sound – Kelsey | Beauty & Style Tips |

Also read: Bye-bye BFF: Outgrowing your friends