How To Stay Connected With Your Long-Distance Friends

Everyone talks about long-distance relationships. But no one talks about long-distance friendships.
The people you grew up with, your school or college friends, the friends from your neighborhood. Your comfort people. They were your best buddies but career opportunities and jobs have taken them to different places.
Between adult responsibilities and the general busyness of life, staying connected with your long-distance friends can be tough. If you are losing touch with your friends, here’s how to stay connected even over long distances.

Why Is It Important To Keep In Touch With Your Friends?

As children, we often take our friendships for granted. But as we enter adulthood, we realize the importance of friends in our lives. Supportive and healthy friendships can help you deal with the stresses of life. They offer different perspectives and keep you grounded. Friends make you feel
loved and valued and reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation. Hence, it’s very important for your mental health and well-being to have a set of close friends whom you depend upon.

How To Maintain Long-Distance Friendships

Much like long-distance dating, long-distance friendships also require you to take efforts in order to maintain them. Staying connected with a friend who lives far away can be difficult. Your
friendship is bound to change, but it is worth fighting for.

Here are some ways to stay connected with your long-distance friends:

1) Set a fixed time to catch-up

In the general busyness of life, sometimes we forget to call our friends or even drop them a text.
Hence, it is important to schedule a fixed time that works for both parties to connect. It can be an hour-long talk or simply a five-minute catch-up. It will help you feel connected with your
long-distance friends.

2) Connect over common interests

What is that hobby or interest that you initially bonded over? Continue to enjoy doing that together, even if virtually. Do you enjoy watching movies? Hold an online movie watch party. Are
you both voracious readers? Start a book club with virtual discussions. Do you enjoy playing games? Organize a virtual game night.
If this is too much work for you, join online communities like Oopar.club. It offers different community clubs based on your interests. They organize various challenges and events to bond
over shared interests.With some effort, you can find ways to have fun together no matter how many miles separate you.

3) A friend in need is a friend indeed

A true friend is one who will stand by you in your difficult times. Take that extra effort and visit your long-distance friend during their tough period.
Even if you can’t be there physically, let your friend know that you are with them in spirit and they can always count on you. Keep checking up on them regularly, and if necessary, lend them
your shoulder to cry on.

4) Plan to visit each other

While you are connected virtually, it cannot substitute for physical face-to-face meetings. Plan to visit each other if you can. Drop into the city they are staying in or plan a trip to someplace
together. If you are part of a friend group, plan an annual meet-up or take a trip together. These meets will bring you closer and help you stay connected with your long-distance friends.

5) Send them little reminders

Random texts, voice notes, emails, or even sending memes to your long-distance friend will tell them that you miss them and that you are thinking about them.
These small things go a long way in deepening your connection and help you stay connected over long distances.

6) Video call to the rescue

Sometimes the circumstances are such that you cannot visit your long-distance friend or they are living abroad, then video call is your savior. It allows you to both see and hear the person
you are calling and is the perfect substitute when you can’t meet them in person.

Friendships are very precious; don’t lose out on them due to distance. Take that extra effort to nurture them and stay connected with your long-distance friends.