Do your friends always appear happy, regardless of what’s going on in their lives? Well, it’s time to check on your happy friends! It may be just what they need.

A Harvard study reveals that close relationships help people stay happy and live longer lives. To cultivate strong relationships, make a habit of checking in on your friends. They could be acting happy, despite feeling sad.

Check on Your Happy Friends Today

Your cheery pals might seem upbeat and put together all the time. But even the happiest people can have bad days.

two women sitting on a bench with one woman listening attentively as her friend speaks

Make keeping in touch with friends a personal commitment in life! Check on your friends with a text, call, or visit. You can even message them on social media like Facebook or Instagram to start a conversation that you later take offline.

Are People Happy, or Do They Just Look Happy?

Remember that looking happy is very different from being happy.

Your friend might look and act happy to mask a mental illness or a rough time. Mental health experts call this smiling depression.

Friends are more likely to open up about their thoughts and emotions if you maintain regular contact with them.

Communicating frequently also makes it easier to know if your loved ones are pretending to be happy.

Has your friend started to lose sleep often, or do they seem tired most of the time? Have they changed their eating habits or started making excuses about missing plans? Their smile could also be a telltale sign that something is wrong if it’s become less frequent or forced.

Your friends may brush these signs off as nothing. So, if you worry about them, it’s up to you to reach out.

How to Check In With Your Happy Friends

How you communicate is essential when checking in with the happy people around you.

You don’t want to seem intrusive, but they should know you care!

If they brush off your efforts, don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper. Using kind words, let them know you’re there for them at their best or worst.

You can check in with your happy friends effectively in these ways:

Challenge Generic Responses

If your loved one gives standard responses to questions like “How are you?” gently ask for additional information.

For example, you might get the usual “I’m okay” answer. In this case, calmly respond with “Tell me more” to get them to continue talking.

women talking while holding coffee cups and laptops

They may not speak openly about their stress. However, the fact that you instigated this conversation will show that you care and are always there to listen.

Have Affirming Conversations Regularly

Affirming or uplifting conversations put people at ease and make them feel safe to explain their reality.

Also, when you communicate like this regularly, your happy friends will know they have a support system to turn to when struggling. They’ll see that they can always be open with you about their feelings.

Follow-up on Information You Learn

Listen attentively during your conversations and always follow up on what your friends tell you.

You can do this by asking for more details about a particular issue or offering help if they need it. Check-in with your friends from time to time to see if their situation has changed or improved.

For example, if you know of a family member or a person close to them who’s struggling with health issues, bring it up in a later conversation to see how things are going.

When done correctly, you can help your happy friends navigate their situations better by providing a listening ear and offering advice when appropriate.

Send Positive Check-in Texts

Send positive messages to check in on your friends that make them feel cared about and important.

a woman sitting in bed sending positive text messages

Your messages can be fun and lighthearted (e.g., funny inspirational quotes, GIFS, or memes) to brighten their day or uplifting words of encouragement to make them feel better about a situation they’re going through. (Here are our suggestions on how to make someone happy over text.)

You can also make them feel special by sending a thinking of you gift or card that reminds them of your friendship.

By keeping in regular contact, they’ll know you’re always available if they need to talk.

Final Thoughts

It’s not possible to always be happy. Happiness is a habit that requires practice!

Some people use an outward appearance of happiness to mask their inner struggles. You can break this pattern by frequently checking on your happy friends and letting them know they matter.

If you need help remembering to reach out to your friends regularly, consider using an app like the Do Happy App. It’s a great tool that helps you remember your loved ones’ important dates and details and reminds you to stay in touch with them.

By checking in with your happy friends and offering words of encouragement, you can help them get through their battles while strengthening your friendships. You’ll feel great being able to genuinely help a friend in need.