My best friend and I have been friends for almost ten years. However, nine out of those ten years have been a long-distance friendship. We met in 6th grade, and from 7th grade onwards, we have never lived in the same state again. While long-distance friendships are hard, I feel like I have definitely learned a few things along the way that may help. Here are five tips to help maintain long-distance friendships!
- Don’t Talk Every Single Day
-
If you want your long-distance friendships to last, you probably shouldn’t talk every single day. If you constantly update each other on your lives, you will eventually run out of things to talk about. The difference between being in the same place as your friends and being far away from them is you’re now making fewer memories together and more memories apart. Constantly creating new memories helps foster and sustain friendships, keeping them fresh.
To keep things fun between you and your friends, try not to talk every day. That way, when you and your friends speak next, you will have plenty to talk about and won’t have to worry about running out of things to say. Sometimes my best friend and I will go weeks without actually talking to each other, but when we finally do, it is always a fun time.
- Keep In Touch Through Social Media Apps
-
While you may not constantly update each other on your lives, it is still important to keep in touch and show your friend you are keeping them in mind despite being far apart. One of the best ways to do this is through social media. If you see a funny TikTok or an Instagram post you think your friends would like, send it to them.
These little interactions will make your friends feel like they are still a significant part of your life and will keep the two of you connected. One of the trickiest parts about long-distance friendships is making sure you and your friends still feel like priorities in each other’s lives. Sending social media posts you think your friends may like is the perfect way to tell them that.
- Make Time To See Each Other In Person
-
It is so important to make time to actually see your friends in person when you no longer live in the same place. Though you may feel like you’re not missing out on anything because you and your friends stay connected, nothing beats seeing your friends in person.
I often find that when I spend in-person time with my long-distance friends, we usually talk about things we completely forgot to bring up or that just didn’t feel right to discuss over the phone. These in-person meetings lead to better and deeper conversations, leaving you and your friends even closer than before.
- Take Initiative
-
Everyone gets busy, and it often feels that we don’t have time to do anything other than school or work. This may lead you to speak less and less with your long-distance friends. Not speaking to your long-distance friends for a bit shouldn’t be an issue. However, sometimes you don’t even realize how much time has passed since you and your friends last spoke, as we all get caught up in the craziness of our everyday lives.
Therefore, you should take the initiative and reach out to your friends when you haven’t been able to speak in a while. Though you may have been connecting through social media and whatnot, it is important to actually sit down and set some time aside to talk to your friends. If neither of you takes the initiative to set time aside for the other, you may drift apart.
To keep your long-distance friendships alive, it is essential to take the initiative.
- FaceTime, FaceTime, FaceTime
-
Technology has given us many incredible gifts, one of those being FaceTime. I have gone through about every video calling app out there: FaceTime, Skype, Oovoo — you name it, I’ve used it. FaceTiming or video calling your friends is the best way to connect with them.
Texting, while much easier and less time-consuming, doesn’t hold the same value as seeing your friends in real time. While you don’t have to be FaceTiming all the time, it is definitely something you should prioritize.
Long-distance friendships are hard, but I’ve utilized all of these tips and have managed to make it work for almost ten years. Hopefully, these tips will help you do the same!
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!