Friendships are an important part of well-being. In today’s world, it’s common for friendships to move away from where they’d started or for people to form friendships with people living somewhere temporarily. In either case, if staying in touch is important for both parties there are ways and means to keep the connection alive and well.
As someone who’s moved around a lot as a child and moved interstate as an adult, here are five of my go-to’s for keeping those important connections solid:
- Schedule calls in, have a repeating calendar reminder set for every 3 weeks, every 6 weeks, or every 2 months, whatever works for you and your friendship. Habits are great friendship savers. By making it habit to call and have a chat, rather than relying on typing, hearing each other’s voice keeps the connection fresh and you stay on top of each other’s current events.
- Make a Skype date to get some face time in and enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea together. Being on face time ensures that both parties are focused and committed to the conversation.
- Have an interstate book group. Decide on a book together and discuss it as you go along or at the end.
- Watch the same Netflix series at the same time. Long gone are the days where you have to get on the phone and use headphones so there isn’t double up of the sound, and press play at the same time. Now there’s the Chrome Extention Netflix Party! Amazing! It synchronizes video playback and adds group chat.
- Plan and save towards going to a concert, a gallery blockbuster, or a midway weekend getaway together. Nothing like a full weekend of hanging out to reconnect and nourish the friendship. Or like me and a friend of mine will be doing next month, skip a weekend away and go all out on an overseas adventure together!
If you have any other great methods of keeping in touch with friends, I’d be delighted to hear them!
