You leave another meeting knowing a great deal about your friend's week and realizing that you barely mentioned your own. One busy or difficult period can explain that imbalance. A repeated pattern may need a conversation.
Begin by making your contribution visible in the moment. “There is something from my week I would like to tell you too” can be clearer than waiting for a perfectly placed question that never arrives. Some people do not notice how much space they are taking until the pattern is named.
If the imbalance continues, discuss it at a calm time. Describe what you have noticed and what you would appreciate, rather than presenting a complete case against the person's character. “I miss feeling that we both get space when we meet” gives the relationship a practical direction to consider.
Listen to their response. They may have been absorbed, unaware or unsure how to ask about a subject in your life. An explanation can help, but look for whether the actual pattern changes afterward.
Avoid turning every future conversation into a stopwatch exercise. Mutuality does not require equal minutes in each meeting. Different periods call for different amounts of support. The question is whether there is room for both people over time.
You may need to adjust how much emotional work you offer if the relationship remains consistently one-sided. That can be a considered boundary rather than a punishment. Invest attention in connections where your presence includes more than being a reliable audience.
Try a clear transition during an ordinary exchange: “I want to tell you something from my week too.” See whether the friend can make room when the need is visible. A habit formed during a difficult period may be easier to change once it is named. Choose an example of the pattern rather than presenting a comprehensive prosecution of every conversation you have ever had.
Notice what happens after the discussion. Does the person ask, listen and remember more, or does the conversation return immediately to the same arrangement? Change can take practice, but your life should not require a constant campaign for a few minutes of attention. You can reduce the length or frequency of calls if that helps, while deciding whether the connection offers enough mutual interest to remain as close as it has been.
A friendship is not only the kindness you provide while somebody else speaks. Your ordinary news, uncertainties and interests belong in it too. Asking for that space may feel unfamiliar, particularly if you have become very skilled at listening. It can also give the other person a chance to know you more fully than the role you have quietly been maintaining allows.
A little more room to be yourself.