It can be helpful to think about your own relationships with a relationship map.

Imagine you are at the center of the circle. Each circle represents how close a relationship is to you.

Self: This includes your private thoughts, feelings, personal experiences, and your own body.

Intimate: These are your most trusted relationships. Intimacy does not only mean a romantic relationship. These people are closest to you who support and love you. You fully trust them and share most things about yourself.

Close: These are people close to you whom you care about and who care about you. You share many things with them and trust them in some ways. They may not have the 100 percent closeness of your most trusted relationships, or you may not spend as much time with them.

Extended: These are often acquaintances; people who know you and are part of your life but not as intimately. You likely share a common activity or space, like classmates or neighbors.

Strangers: These are people you interact with but do not actually know. These people may be people on the street or an employee at a store or restaurant. Trust and sharing is limited to impersonal topics like small talk.

You can complete this exercise by drawing your own relationship map or using this worksheet.

Think about your own relationships. Try to think of seven to eight people in your life. Now write down their names on the relationship map.

There are no right or wrong places to put people.

Some questions you might think about:³

• Who are the important people in your life?
• Who do you go to for support?
• Who do you support?
• Who is taking up space in your thoughts? (good or bad)
• Who has loved you well?
• What do you value about these relationships?