Maintaining Long Distance Friendships

Moving away for college or work, perhaps even being separated by COVID restrictions means long distance friendships are something many of us will have to contend with at one point or another.

It may seem like distance will kill your friendship, but that’s just not true.

So how do we manage long distance friendships?

Set Time Aside

It can be hard to find a common time to call each other especially if you have conflicting schedules or clashing timetables.

Putting aside certain days/dates can be a good way to ensure you will get a chance to properly catch up either in person (if possible) or on the phone.

This could be as simple as saying every second Wednesday at seven is a FaceTime date or at Christmas they come visit and in summer you visit them.

Not only does this create a specific time but it gives you both something to look forward to.

Understand

Life is busy and sometimes that means things don’t always go to plan. So if someone forgets or something crops up make sure to talk it out, explain, reschedule and understand each other.

Trust in the friendship and try not to take these hiccups in scheduling personally.

Communicate

Keep the communication creative.

You don’t always have to call sometimes a snap can be as effective. Snap chat can keep you up to date on what the other person is at, where they are and even what food they are getting stuck in to.

Creating IG private stories are also useful in sending videos to all your friends to keep the loop and communication going.

Also, don’t underestimate a voice note. It can be a real life saver for long distance friendships when you don’t have time for a call but a text is just too long.

The saying is true; where there is a will, there really is a way. You may not chat everyday or see each other for months at a time but long distance friendships are still friendships and they can still survive and thrive.

Read More: How To Deal With A Friend Fight