Friendship looks different once you hit your 20s and 30s. Gone are the days when being a good friend meant sharing lip gloss in the school bathroom or texting each other every hour. Life gets busier. Schedules get fuller. But the heart of friendship — the soft, supportive, ride-or-die kind — becomes even more important.
Being a good best friend in adulthood isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, thoughtful, and emotionally available in ways that actually matter.
Here’s what that looks like in this era of girlhood-grown-up.
✨ 1. Show Up for the Small Stuff (Not Just the Big Moments)
Weddings, birthdays, and milestones matter — but real friendship is in the everyday. It’s checking in on a random Tuesday, sending a TikTok that reminded you of her, or grabbing coffee just because. Small gestures are what keep adult friendships alive.
✨ 2. Celebrate Her Wins Without Comparison
Your 20s and 30s are full of uneven timelines. One friend might be traveling the world while another is starting a business or raising kids. Being a good friend means cheering for her genuinely — without comparing chapters. Her success isn’t a threat. It’s a win for the whole group.
✨ 3. Make Time, Even When Life Is Busy
Life doesn’t slow down — you learn to carve out space. Adult friendships thrive on intentionality. Whether it’s a girls’ day, a quick coffee, a late-night FaceTime, or even meeting up for something fun and silly like the VR ride at Bonded by Gigi, the time you prioritize becomes the foundation of your bond.
✨ 4. Be Honest (But Kind) When She Needs It
Good friends tell the truth gently. If she’s settling, spiraling, or shrinking herself, you can love her by being honest — but never harsh. A good adult friend is a safe place to land, not another source of pressure.
✨ 5. Respect Her Boundaries and Your Own
Healthy friendship means giving each other space when needed and not taking it personally. In your 20s and 30s, boundaries are actually a sign of respect and emotional maturity. They make the friendship stronger — not weaker.
✨ 6. Create New Traditions Together
Friendship rituals matter more as you get older. They keep the connection alive. Matching bracelets you never take off, annual girls’ trips, seasonal traditions, inside jokes, or even creating a bestie day with your own little traditions — these things anchor the friendship in joy.
✨ 7. Root for Her Healing and Her Happiness
Everyone goes through something in this stage of life — heartbreak, burnout, anxiety, reinvention. Being a good friend now means holding space without trying to fix everything. Listening. Encouraging. Reminding her who she is.
✨ 8. Keep the Fun Alive (You Still Need Play!)
Adulthood can be heavy. Bills, jobs, deadlines, responsibilities… all of it piles up. But friendship shouldn’t be another weight. It’s a release. A safe space. Doing silly things together — dressing up, going on spontaneous outings, making cute hats together, taking a VR ride, matching jewelry — brings out the lightness you both still need.
✨ 9. Stay Loyal, Even When Life Changes
Careers shift. Relationships evolve. People move. But strong friendships adapt. A good best friend doesn’t disappear when things get hard or different. She stays. She grows with you. She holds space for who you’re becoming.
✨ 10. Love Her Loudly
One of the prettiest things about adult friendship?
You get to choose each other — again and again.
Tell her you love her.
Tell her you’re proud of her.
Tell her she’s not alone.
We don’t outgrow girlhood.
We bring it with us — softer, wiser, and even more meaningful — in the friendships we nurture intentionally.
Being a good best friend in your 20s and 30s isn’t an art form because it’s complicated.
It’s an art form because it’s beautiful