LIFE

Keeping secrets is one of the most sacred forms of friendship. Knowing that your besties aren’t going to blab about your deepest, darkest, most daring confessions is part of what makes your relationship so strong. Sometimes, though, the gossip feels like too much to handle. We’ve all been there. When the secret is harming to your friends or others in any way you should *absolutely* get an adult involved—but the more personal, embarrassing secrets should be kept between gal pals.

If you’re having a hard time holding a secret in, follow these tips...

Ask yourself why you want to tell someone.
If you’re itching to tell somebody, ask yourself why. Are you thinking of telling because you have a new piece of gossip? Is it to get back at that person for something they told about you? Chances are if you take a step back and consider why you’re going to gossip in the first place, you’ll realize it’s probably not for a good reason.

You don’t want to lose trust.
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep secrets about ourselves in. That’s what besties are for, though. Being able to confide in your friends means so much. If someone is telling you a secret, instead of wanting to tell someone else, feel grateful they came to you. You’re obviously a trustworthy friend and you *don’t* want to jeopardize that for a little talk.

Realize it isn’t your secret to tell.
Before you go gossiping, think about how you’d feel if your own secrets got out. Your response would probably be that it wasn’t their story to share. That goes for everyone else, too.  

Talk about it with the secret-holder.
If you simply cannot hold in your opinion about the topic, tell the friend who had the secret. Say something like, “I promised I wouldn’t share this with anyone and I won’t but I would like to tell you how I feel about it.” Remember to *always* be respectful. Don’t pry into personal matters just to have a word on it.

What are your best secret-keeping tips? Tell us below! 

by Gabby Regalbuto | 8/30/2017