To deepen your friendship, spend quality time together.  Plan weekly outings to the movies or to dinner.   If you live far away, try to see each other at least once per year. You can also do things like going bowling or having game night at your house. When your friend celebrates a milestone, celebrate with them!  Be there for marriages, graduations, and births of their children. Be there for the sad stuff too like funerals and breakups.  For instance, if your friend is getting married and you are in the wedding party, ask them if they need any help with planning.  They will appreciate you being so thoughtful. If they accomplish something major, call them and tell them how proud you are of them or send them a card. Trying to lose weight?  Have a friend hit the gym with you.  Are you struggling with an addiction?  Have your friend go with you to a support group meeting. Help each other through whatever is going on in your life. Plan a day trip with friends to the beach.  If you’re older, plan a cruise or road trip together.  Pick places that you all want to visit and then go for it. Use this time to catch up and bond.
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One-sentence summary -- Plan regular outings. Celebrate major events in their lives. Do supportive things together. Plan a vacation.


Notice the gaps in between your contractions to see if they vary in length. Braxton Hicks contractions will be inconsistent and will ebb and flow, while real labor contractions will steadily build.  For example, you may notice that you’re having pains every few minutes for half an hour, but then the pain stops for an hour. Alternatively, you may realize that the pain is happening at odd intervals, such as every minute for a few minutes, but then every five minutes for the next half hour. Most women describe Braxton Hicks contractions as uncomfortable but not that painful. Braxton Hicks contractions also feel like you’re experiencing a tightening in your abdomen. Real labor pains will radiate from your back, while Braxton Hicks contractions are mostly located in your lower abdomen. The discomfort or tightening of a Braxton Hicks contraction will begin in the top of the abdomen and move down into your lower abdomen. Use a timer, clock, or watch that shows seconds to find out how long your pain is lasting. Braxton Hicks contractions normally last for about 15-30 seconds.  If your pains are shorter, then they are unlikely to be real labor pains or Braxton Hicks contractions. Call your doctor if the pain persists. If your pains last longer, 30 to 70 seconds or longer as labor progresses, then you may be having labor contractions. If you can feel your baby moving around, then the discomfort is probably Braxton Hicks contractions. The movement of the baby can cause the discomfort, and you shouldn’t feel your baby during labor contractions. Shift to a more comfortable position, then rest for 15-30 minutes. If your pain stops, then it was likely Braxton Hicks contractions. Braxton Hicks can be caused by certain positions and can be alleviated by resting in a better position, changing positions, or walking. Real labor contractions, however, cannot be relieved by changing positions.
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One-sentence summary -- Check if they’re irregular. Consider if you’re feeling discomfort or tightening. Notice if they’re in your lower abdomen rather than your lower back. Time the contractions. Try to feel your baby’s movement. Change your position to see if they stop.


Everybody feels shy or insecure from time to time, but if you feel inhibited by your shyness, it is probably because you have been telling yourself you are somehow inadequate. These feelings of inadequacy are reinforced on a daily basis by the negative things you constantly tell yourself. Learn to pay attention to negative thoughts and distinguish the rational thoughts from the irrational ones.  Do you constantly tell yourself you're unattractive? Do you tell yourself you're boring? That you're weird? Irresponsible? Negative thoughts like these are what keep you from feeling confident enough to be a social person. More importantly, they keep you from living a fulfilling life. Until you've addressed your insecurities and told yourself you're a worthy person, you won't be able to truly socialize. Sometimes we get so accustomed to these negative thoughts that we no longer notice them. Start paying to attention to the kinds of thoughts you are having. Once you have learned to recognize when you are having a negative thought, you can slowly train yourself to silence these thoughts so that they no longer inhibit your life. When you catch yourself having a negative thought, try one of the following exercises:  First, acknowledge that the thought is there. Now, close your eyes, and visualize the thought in your mind's eye. Label it as a "negative" thought, and then let it slowly dissolve until it disappears completely. Turn a negative thought into a constructive one. Let's say you're overweight, for example. Instead of constantly telling yourself "I'm fat," tell yourself "I'd like to lose weight and get healthy so that I'll have more energy and feel more attractive." This way, you can turn a negative thought into a positive goal for the future. For every negative thought, think of three positive thoughts. Being a positive person will also make it much easier for you to socialize and make friends. Nobody wants to be friends with a Negative Nancy. Unfortunately, we spend so much time trying to improve ourselves that we forget to acknowledge our accomplishments, our talents, and our good nature. Talk to people you trust to find out what they think your most positive traits are. Then, ask yourself the following questions to help get your list started:  What have you done in the past year that you are proud of? What is your proudest accomplishment of all time? What unique talents do you have? What do people tend to compliment you on? What positive impact have you made on other peoples' lives? Part of the reason why people struggle with insecurity is that they compare their own "low" points with other peoples' "high" points. In other words, they compare the negative qualities of their own lives with the positive qualities of other peoples' lives.  Keep in mind that behind closed doors, everybody experiences pain or suffering from time to time. If you find yourself wondering why certain people seem happier than you, remind yourself that happiness has little to do with external circumstances, and everything to do with attitude. Consider turning off or taking a break from social media. Social media sites can inhibit your will to go out and be social in-person. They also encourage you to compare your day-to-day life with the filtered and edited high points of others, which may lead to depression. Ironically, people who feel invisible and insecure also tend to feel like they are constantly being watched, criticized, and laughed at. While you are certainly not invisible, it is irrational to think that strangers are constantly staring at you and waiting for you to mess up. People are so involved with their own lives that they have little time to notice if you do or say something embarrassing. Even if they do notice, they will likely forget the incident within an hour or two, while you may hold on to it for years.  Letting go of the feeling that you are constantly being watched and judged will help you learn to ease up and relax around other people, making socializing much more pleasant. Get over the fact that everyone is always staring at you or judging you. Like you, they are more concerned about themselves than the people around them. So, the worst thing that can happen is...you meet someone, and that person doesn't want to hang out with you again. Is that unpleasant? Sure. The end of the world? Absolutely not. Most of the time, this definitely will not happen. If you think that most people will reject you and are afraid of socializing because of it, then you'll be missing out on meeting a lot of amazing people.  Know that you're not going to hit it off with everybody, or even most people. But think about all of the amazing relationships you can form if you just put yourself out there more. Practice saying, "So what?" when you're afraid. Then, really think about what would happen if your fear came true. This will help you question the reality of the scenarios that overcome you.
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One-sentence summary --
Pay attention to your insecurities. Learn to cope with your negative thoughts. Make a list of your positive qualities. Stop comparing yourself to others. Remember that you're not the center of the universe. Get over your fear of rejection.