As we go through life, people come and go. Chances are that the friends and acquaintances that you have now are different from those that you had in the past.
Friends, though, are an important part of our lives. Without them, we wouldn’t have much social interaction other than with our families or work colleagues. And if you’re single and working from home, that would basically imply no human contact at all.
In this post, we take a look at some of the ways that you can stay in touch with friends over the course of your life while making it natural at the same time. Here’s what to do.
Find A Reason To Stay In Touch
Friendships are value-based relationships. People are usually only friends because they can get something from the other person. It sounds crass when you put it that way, but generally, that’s how it works. If you want somebody to continue investing their time in you, you need to provide them with some sort of incentive.
Reasons for spending time together don’t have to be grandiose. Many friendships survive purely on the basis that both parties listen to each other’s problems and respect them. You can also focus friendships on business, hobbies or shared activities.
If you get back in touch with an old friend, try to learn about what they want and what they might enjoy. Once you have a better understanding of this, you can then approach them with ideas about what you should do when you meet up.
Remember Their Birthday
Another tactic you can try is remembering their birthday. Text them well-wishes on their special day and then use that to kickstart a conversation. You’d be surprised just how much it means to people when you remember and celebrate their birthday.
Check Your Old Phone
Sometimes you can fall out of touch with an old friend just because you’re using a new phone. To avoid this, import contacts from iPhone to Mac. This way, you can keep the contact details of everyone you know in the cloud. Then, whenever you get a new device, you just sync it with your cloud contacts and you’re ready to go.
Write A Letter
Another thing you might want to try is writing a letter. It’s something that friends and families have been doing for centuries to stay in touch with each other.
Writing a letter usually has a big impact on the person receiving it. It is radically different from receiving a text or getting an email.
If a letter sounds a little too weird, try writing a postcard next time you go away. Show your friend where you’ve been and what you’re doing. It’ll show them that you care and it isn’t at all creepy.
Go On A Trip Together
Old friends make great travel buddies. What’s more, they might want to visit the same destinations as you. Perhaps, just like you, they want to travel around the world.
Going on a trip together is a great way to get to know each other and enjoy an adventure at the same time. What’s more, it is better than trying to do it all alone. It can be stressful checking in baggage and arranging stays in hotels when it is just you. But when you are with another person, it becomes considerably easier.
Tell Your Friends That Your Are Thinking About Them
Sometimes life circumstances mean that you can’t stay in touch with your friends how you would like. Work, family and job moves all get in the way of going back to the glory days.
However, you can still keep the relationship ticking over by reminding your friends that you are thinking about them. If you are in the area, always use that as an opportunity to meet up. Also, if you see something that reminds you of an old friend, snap a picture and then send it to them. Tell them that you wish they were here with you. That can help to get the conversation started.
Talk About The Future
Another thing you can do is talk about the future together. You can make long-term plans. When you do this, it actually motivates your friends to think more about how they would like their life to be going forward – and the role that you could play in it.
If friends aren’t willing to talk about the future, then it could be a sign that there is no point maintaining ties with them. You want to always be working towards something with them, even if it is only small.
