This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.
If you know me, you know I’m notoriously bad at keeping in touch. I’ve never been the type to text first, especially when I haven’t spoken to someone in a while, and as someone who is easily distracted, I often find myself reading texts and not replying, or missing calls and saying I’ll call back, but accidentally forgetting to do so. These actions aren’t intentional, and I don’t mean any harm to the people trying to contact me, but despite these truths, some of my relationships have undoubtedly been strained by my unresponsiveness. Since coming to college, I have been trying my best to avoid losing touch with people I care about. Here are some of the strategies I’ve used to maintain my relationships, even from hundreds of miles away.
- Don’t open messages unless you are ready to respond. Oftentimes I’ll receive texts, snap-texts, or even emails from my friends in the middle of an online class, while I’m out for a meal, or while I’m busy studying or doing homework. When I open these messages while preoccupied, I find myself forgetting to respond over half the time, and not realizing until I hear from the sender again, or go to text them a few days later. In order to mitigate this, I try to avoid opening my messages until I have the time to have a conversation. Although this may mean waiting a few hours to respond, it also allows for a more meaningful interaction.
- When you think of someone, tell them. This sentiment has helped me significantly in making sure to talk to people I care about. Whether it be a song that comes on in the car, a food item in at a restaurant, or a post on social media, if something you see reminds you of a friend or family member be sure to tell them. Not only will they be happy to know you’re thinking of them, but it can also be a great way to start a conversation with someone no matter how long it has been since you last spoke.
- Set reminders. As ridiculous as it may sound, setting a reminder to text someone you care about is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. The reminder can be something as simple as a biweekly or monthly notification, but make sure it tells you to text or call someone you miss or someone you care about. There’s no shame in a friendly reminder to text a friend, and in the long-run, it will be worth it to maintain important relationships.