Many friendships hit rough patches. Sometimes it is worth the emotional strain to work through your problems, while at other times, especially when a friendship is harmful, it isn’t. 【小题1】 Here are some tips for reference.

●Reflect and write down the good.

Before you face a difficult conversation with a friend, pause and reflect first. Think of a specific moment that this friendship has brought you joy or excitement. Using that memory as inspiration to write down things you appreciate about a friend. 【小题2】 Even if there is still tension, that appreciation will go a long way to building mutual understanding.

●Choose a different way to communicate.

If repair efforts have not worked via your usual tech channels, try another way to communicate. 【小题3】 Send some postcards, deliver exquisite handicrafts or mail someone a book you think they would enjoy. Attached with these gifts, a hand-written letter explaining why you think the relationship feels awkward and why you want to repair it is highly recommended.

●【小题4】

If you take a step back from the friendship and notice that it’s doing more harm than good, for example, your friend isn’t rooting for your success, bullies you, is inconsiderate, or you feel drained or misunderstood by them, it might be time to end instead of mend. 【小题5】 In other words, the good does not necessarily outweigh the bad if there’s too much bad. Thus, drop the relationship once you perceive any dangerous sign showing you are being hurt.

When I was 16 years old, a boy gave me an important gift. 【小题1】 . It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school, and my old school was far away. 【小题2】 . I was very. lonely, and afraid to make friends with anyone.

Every time I listened to other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn’t talk with anyone about my problems. And I didn’t want my parents to worry about me.

Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends, but I sat at my desk unhappily as usual. 【小题3】 I didn’t know who he was. He passed me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy, lively. and warm. 【小题4】 I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now! 【小题5】 I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.

Electric devices can seem like a “third party” in some relationships because some partners spent more time on them than with each other.

When Amanda Gao, a 26-year-old white collar worker in Beijing, went to a hotpot restaurant with her boyfriend on Friday night several weeks ago, she expected that they would have a good time together. To her disappointment, however, it did not turn out that later. As soon as they were led to their seats and she began to order dishes, he buried himself in his mobile phone.

“It seemed that his phone was making its way between us. A date that should have belonged to us turned into one where my boyfriend dated a third party and I felt left out.” Gao said. Some people, like her, have found electronics have been sabotaging(破坏) their romantic relationships.

A study, published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, in April, 2017, questioned nearly 200 college aged adults who were in committed(真诚的) relationships to report on their and their partner’s smartphone dependency. The results showed people who were more dependent on their phones were less sure about their relationships, and people considered their partners excessively(过度地) dependent on their devices were less satisfied in their relationship.

Lin Yuan, a relationship advisor in Beijing, noted that as more and more electronics come out and spice up people’s lives, they are at the same time becoming a third party in relationships, especially for young people.

Lin said she knew of some people who suggest that electronics should be kept out of bedrooms, which she considered challenging and hard to be put into practice for most couples. She recommended that if people are feeling neglected in their relationship, they need to respectfully let their partners know their feeling. “Communication is always the best and the most efficient way.” she said.