Whenever I spend time with good friends, I always feel refreshed and happy afterwards. This time of year, when I've been so busy I tend to lose touch with those people - when you live far from family and friends, or if you become really busy, it can be easy to lose touch with those close to you. As wonderful as it is to have friends that you can pick up right where you left off with, there's lots of good reasons to stay in closer contact! Relationships are important, and are therefore worth making a priority.
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| Me with my sister and best friend |
Sharing conversation, laughs, and ups and downs with the people who you've spent years building a bond with is so rewarding, both mentally and emotionally. It feels good to be loved, understood, comfortable, to connect. It is important to support friends, just as they support us through our joys and sadness. Not only that, but there's no other fun like the fun you have with your good pals! And we all know that having fun is good for the soul :)
My challenge to you is to connect with a friend you've been meaning to contact, once a week for three weeks. I think you'll find that it's worth continuing.
Here's some ideas for connecting with friends to get you started!
1. Pick up the phone and call
Now, this may seem like an obvious one... but when your chores, job, classes, new friends, partner, errands, etc. take up so much time, spending an hour on the phone with friends can seem like something you don't have time for.
If you're finding that you don't have much spare time, try out weekly or monthly calls. Something like, every Sunday evening, or the second Sunday of every month you schedule a phone date. Actually writing it in your planner or schedule is a great commitment reminder!
These days, you can go beyond voice calls for those with the technology. Skype or Facetime is a great way to hang out - have lunch together, show each other what you've been working on, or that cute drawing your little cousin/niece/nephew made you... the possibilites are endless! You can also do conference calls! Checkout Google Hangout where you can video chat with up to 10 people at a time.
By talking even once a month, you'll feel more connected when you keep up with these calls. If you're finding it difficult to make them after work, do double duty and get creative with how you time the calls - while you're folding clothes, on your commute to work (hands free), or while re-organizing your closet.
2. Grab some food together
Brunch, lunch, coffee/tea... make food yourselves for an inexpensive, fun and delicious get together, or support your local economy and go out and grab a bite! Ya gotta eat anyway, right?!
In the go-out option, my personal favorite is a coffee date (or tea, if you're me!). I find that brunch and lunch dates are over far too fast, but coffee dates can linger for as long as you like. A good friend of mine and I love these little dates to catch up. We often get together in the evening, and before we know it, we've been talking well into the night. Find a cosy little coffee shop in your area and chat away!
3. Go walking, running, or take a yoga class together
Being active is an important and rewarding aspect of leading a healthy life. Being active with a friend quadruples the fun!
My sister and I love to run and workout at the park together... it's a great motivator and perfect time to catch up. Amazingly, you can have a conversation while running, which I used to think was some sort of crazy hard to attain goal. Now, that doesn't mean that you're not gasping for air in between, haha! No time to learn the art of breathing like when you're running and trying to discuss the latest hilarious cute kitten video you watched! ;)
4. Throw a party
Most of us love a good party! Throw an intimate party of 5-10 people so you're able to talk to everyone and catch up. There's about a bajillion reasons to have a party... a dinner party, a potluck, a tea party, a themed party, a 'today is a great day for a party' party... if you get my drift.
5. Invite a friend along
Invite a friend along to something you normally do alone. For instance, do you like to go to the Farmers Market on Saturday? Invite a friend, either for tea at the market before you do your shopping, or to shop around with you.
6. Take an art class together
Not only do you get to hang out with your friend, but you get to make art! How awesome is that?!
Maybe there's something that you've always wanted to try, or improve upon. Lots of places have classes in pottery, painting, photography, guitar, dancing for all levels. There's usually lots of variation in time commitments so you can choose whichever suits you. One day workshops, 10 week programs, or year long programs are typically some options to choose from.
7. Girls night! (Or co-ed/boys night... whatever ya fancy)
Remember back in the day, when you had movie nights with popcorn, maybe some truth or dare sleepovers? Those can be SO FUN. Keeping it old school will give you more of a chance to catch up instead of going out on the town for the night.
8. Plan a trip together
As far as technology has come, there is no substitute to actually seeing each other for friends that live far away. Whether it's going to a concert this summer, meeting up somewhere, or a camping trip actually seeing each other even once a year can make a big difference in the relationship. Mark it on the calender, and start saving if it's a flight! Trips are a great way to make new memories.
9. Chat over email
Emails are a great way to get share stories in-depth with your friends at any time of day.
How do you make them more personal? Well, you know how teachers correct papers with the red pen comments all over the pages? Why not try that in replying to your friends email - in a different colour font, comment throughout the email - "remember when.." "haha"... or "I can't believe"... is a great way to have a conversation through email.
10. Send real mail
Who doesn't love getting a real letter from a friend?! Letters are a really nice way of putting a personal touch on getting into contact, and you can also send some pressed flowers, little pictures or some other fun thing you've made.
This is something that I need to work on... I have a knack for writing letters and then not sending them (sorry Phil, Nat, and Ilia... I promise I'll send them sometime!). So just make sure that if you write the letter... finish it and send it off! ;)
Well I hope you have fun with that list! By nourishing your relationships, and as a result, soul, and I think you'll find yourself much happier.
How are you planning on reconnecting in the next few weeks? Got any more ideas of staying in touch with friends? I'd love to hear 'em in the comments!
Lots o' lovin'
Janelle
xx
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Love Revolution tip - do something nice for a friend today! :)
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