If you want to have a healthy social life, you’ll need to constantly keep in touch with your friends. Sometimes, one can get so caught up in the idea of making new friends that they forget to cherish the ones they already have. Make sure you don’t fall under this trap.
While the idea of keeping in touch with friends sounds simple enough, there are certain things you can still keep in mind to make it as effective as possible. This is most especially helpful if you haven’t interacted with these friends for a while now.
That said, here are 15 ways to keep in touch with friends.
Be genuine about keeping in touch with your friends
It’s important for you to be honest and to keep things real. You have to figure out who you really care about, who you want to keep in touch with, and why you want to. If you don’t, you will only tire yourself out, and keeping in touch with your friends will feel more of a chore.
Knowing that you care enough to keep in touch with them is already a start. You also have to remember that there are ups and downs in every relationship. You have to be ready for that. So if you decide to keep in touch with them, it’s in your best interest to be genuine about it. It may not be all fun and warm moments with them, but nothing can beat the feeling of having a real connection. It keeps you going.
Let them know about your intentions
It’s difficult to make and keep friendships as you grow older because everyone has got their own baggage to carry. That’s why it’s important to lay your intentions on the table right at the beginning. Keeping in touch with each other is a two-way street. Both of you should be interested in doing it.
Having open and honest communication is the key to having healthy and long-lasting friendships. When expectations are out in the open, it will be easier for you to commit to keeping in touch with them. There will be people who will not be interested, which is okay because they have their reasons for it. Don’t worry, it’s most likely not about you. Focus on the friends who are as willing as you are.
Communicate with them where they’re most active
Among the best things we have today is communication technology. To name a few: mobile phones, computers, consoles, radios, postcards, and mails. Ask them which social media platform or gadgets they prefer the most and use them to keep in touch with them!
Your friends may also differ in their preferences, you also have to be ready for that. Yes, it’s ideal if they all prefer the same gadget or social media platform. There are others who prefer texts over calls or face-to-face over online, and vice versa. You can determine a middle ground with them.
Engage with them on Social Media
More than half of the world is now online. Ask your friends which social media platform they enjoy the most! There’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Tiktok, and Snapchat. It’s great if you’re willing to be on the same platform. They may also be active on multiple social media platforms, which is good if you’re not into some of them. Remember not to force yourself.
When engaging with your friends online, you don’t have to react to every post they create. You don’t even have to like all that they have to say, the key is to find your common interests and bond over them. Sending memes, articles, and videos to their interest is a super fun way to keep in touch with them. Sharing something funny goes a long way!
Do activities with them
You may have friends who prefer outdoor activities like camping, trekking, biking, etc. Some may also prefer indoor activities like card games, video games, meditation, etc. Figure out which of these activities they enjoy the most and join them sometime!
If you’re away from their area, you can always share pictures or videos of you doing the same activity. Pairing with a simple message such as: “I’d love to [activity] with you sometime!” or “I can’t wait to do [activity] with you again!” will do just fine. Sharing tips, news, and information related to the activity is also a way to keep in touch with your friends.
Celebrate their special days
Social media platforms have a great feature that reminds you of your friend’s birthday. If you’re super close with them, a birthday message and pictures on their wall will really warm them up. If you’re not close with them, a meaningful private message will still be great to let them know that they matter to you.
As much as possible, be alert to the posts that indicate they’re celebrating something special in their life. React to their posts and give comments on them! If they’re promoting their business, you can give your support by sharing their post. If they’re celebrating their loved ones’ birthday, leave a greeting. You may end up missing some of their special days, it’s okay. Your friends will often remember and appreciate those moments when you celebrate with them,
Share your memories together
If you have taken pictures and videos together with your friends, one thing you can do to keep in touch with them organically is to share those memories together. Hit up with your friend with a picture or a video you both took a while ago. You can then talk about that moment. How it made you both feel.
You can then tell them how much you miss their company. Tell them how much you miss having fun with them like that moment when you took the picture or video.
This approach is very natural and sincere. It’s a great way to let your friends know you’ve been thinking about them. It will also help you both reminisce on past memories, which is always a great way to rekindle friendships.
Meet up to catch up
Once you’ve finally gotten in touch with your friend again, be sure to follow it up with a plan. Plan to catch up with them. Head to the place you both used to frequent together. Invite them to come over or offer to visit them at their place.
You can even be considerate and make things easier for your friend. You can do this by setting the place close to them, or picking a place you know they’re comfortable with.
All that said, though, the place is really only a minor thing here. The most important part is that you both will see each other again. While it’s good to catch up via text, call, or chat, nothing beats a personal touch.
Make it virtual
Another form of consideration you can give to your friend is to make things virtual. You can consider this option if your friend is really busy or just can’t get out but still want to reconnect. In our day and age, you can opt for virtual meet-ups. It isn’t the same as personal meetings, of course, but they’re still incredible when one or both can’t physically attend.
Set up a virtual party or event of any kind for your friend. Make sure you’re the one who does all the preparation. This virtual event can be many things. You can host a virtual movie night, a virtual dinner, a virtual game night, or whatever. Whatever it is you both enjoy doing, find a way to do that with them virtually.
When it is all said and done, your friend will be very grateful and impressed with you. You’ll have shown that you genuinely want to keep in touch with them again.
Gifts!
You don’t necessarily have to do this, but it will help. When you’re meeting your friend again after being apart for a while, bring a gift! Make sure this gift is relevant and meaningful. Get them something you know they’ll appreciate.
Take note that you’re not doing this to “win” their favor once again, but simply to show them how much you appreciate them. The gift doesn’t need to be extravagant. It doesn’t need to be mind-blowing. It just needs to be thoughtful.
Be honest and apologize if you failed to follow-through
If an apology is necessary when you keep in touch with your friends again, make sure you start with that. Be honest about why you failed to keep in touch with them again, apologize for doing so, and show them sincerely that you want to rekindle your friendship.
A lot of people make the mistake of rekindling a friendship without apologizing for leaving them in the past. Don’t make this mistake. A simple apology will be more than enough. It will show your friend that you’re sincere and that you regret the falling out between you two.
Just do it
One thing you shouldn’t do if you want to keep in touch with friends is to hesitate. If you want to do it, just do it. Don’t wait it out. Don’t plan it for tomorrow. Do it today, right now.
The longer you put this off, the harder it will be to reconnect. It will also make you more and more anxious. This happens because you build the moment up so much in your head that it becomes overwhelming when it’s time to finally talk to them.
Just take it easy. Remember all the tips listed here. Take them to heart. Then, get in touch with your friend and say your piece.
Remain upbeat
Depending on how and why you lost touch with your friend a while back, keeping in touch again can be very difficult. It can also be anxiety-inducing for both of you. That said, do your best to keep an upbeat approach. Focus on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.
Say everything you need to say, and once you’ve gotten the apologies and such out of the way, keep up a positive demeanor. Don’t do this to fake it. Do it to keep the atmosphere alive between you and your friend. As long as you’re able to keep this up, your friend will do the same thing.
Don’t be offended if they turn you down
In some cases, a person won’t want to maintain a friendship after it’s been left behind. This can happen for a lot of reasons. However, the main thing to consider here is the reason why the friendship got left behind in the past.
If you and your friend fell out for a particularly horrible reason, there’s a high chance that they’ll turn you down on your first attempt to keep in touch with them. When this happens, don’t take it personally.
A lot of people can take a while before they can forgive and forget. Just be patient and go according to their flow. In time, they’ll eventually warm up to you again.
If the other person really doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore, apologize and understand. Then, move on. This can happen sometimes. The best thing for you to do in this scenario is to say your piece and move on.
This doesn’t happen all the time, of course. And you shouldn’t expect this to happen to you unless the reason why you fell out with your friend a while back is really terrible.
Keep up the friendship
Finally, once you’re able to keep a friendship, don’t let it go to waste. Don’t keep in touch with friends again only to disregard them. This time, be sure to keep up the friendship. Keep showing them how much you appreciate their company. Keep doing the things that are listed here.
The process of maintaining a friendship is just as meaningful as the process of making it. The same thing can be said for rekindling old friendships.
To keep in touch with friends after not talking to them in a while is a tough process, but it’s very doable. As long as you remain sincere, genuine, and keep the friendship going from here on out, you’ll be able to get an old friend back. Good luck!