Stay Connected: Making Time for Friends and Family This Year (Guest Post)

Whether you live in
the same town you grew up in or have moved to the far stretches of
the world to see what lies ahead, staying connected with those
closest to you is one of the most important things in life. Your
loved ones are the ones who help you through it all and without
making the time to get together with them they’re likely to get
lost in the shuffle of your hectic life. So here are a few tips that
will make keeping in touch with friends and family that much easier.

• Explore your
  options. If dropping by your parents’ house isn’t feasible
  right now, take the time to find a solution that works for both of
  you. Whether it’s contacting one another by phone or by social
  media (you can use low-cost mobile broadband provider
  mobi-data.co.uk to keep in
  contact even when on the go). If you simply can’t find the time to
  be on the same page, consider regular Gmail
  exchange so that you can respond on your own time. Whatever the case
  is, make time to make it work and your friends and family will do
  the same.
  

• Make dates.
  Schedule a time to see your friends and family and stick to it.
  Too often someone will ask to talk again later because something
  comes up. Or you might try giving someone a call and reach only
  their voicemail. Set a day of the week to make phone calls and get
  caught up and don’t let it slide through the cracks. Treat your
  time with your friends and family as if they’re important
  appointments you can’t afford to miss – because it’s true!
  Your loved ones are worth the extra effort so you should put in what
  you can to the relationship.

• Get together
  in person (or close to it) as often as possible. Take the time
  to visit family and friends in person. Your grandparents will
  appreciate you taking the time to see them and you and your friends
  will have a much better time grabbing a drink or a bite to eat. When
  getting together is impossible for geographic regions, try Skype
  or another video chat option to see their smiling faces. Being able
  to see someone’s face will make the experience much richer and
  you’ll be glad you ended up doing it.

If you’ve had a
hard time connecting with the people you love most in the past, make
a point of trying to connect with them on a regular basis. It can be
tempting to let relationships fall by the wayside when you get busy
knowing they’ll still be there when the dust settles, but your life
will be much more worth it if your loved ones are there to share it
with you. And keep in mind that people will only put into a
relationship what they expect to receive back. Being there for your
friends and family means that they’ll be there for you when you
need it. And that’s never a bad thing.