A holiday with friends can work wonders. (Image: iStock.)
Maintaining adult friendships can be challenging, but it’s so worth the effort. Sure, life just gets busier with work, spouses, children and distance, but sometimes those grown-up obstacles can actually make a friendship stronger.
Here are our best tips for keeping friendships fresh, exciting and relevant – and it’s a lot easier than you’d think.
1. See each other’s faces – even when you can’t.
Seeing a friend’s face can make all the difference – even if they’re on the other side of the world. And now that we live in the future, why not take advantage of all the video-calling apps on offer? FaceTime, Skype and Google Hangout can be used online to make it feel like you’re chatting face-to-face with your buddy. One Mamamia staffer even has tea with her bestie over FaceTime. The youngsters here tell me that they also use Snapchat to keep up with their friends. If there’s anyone under 30 who can explain Snapchat to me for the millionth, I’ve got my earhorn ready.
2. Make plans…and keep them.
“Always have something planned in the near future to ensure you see each other,” advised one wise Mamamia writer. It’s something to look forward to and having a real-life hug with a friend is one of life’s treasures. I’d like to add something to this advice: try your hardest to keep the plans you’ve set with your friend. Mia Freedman, co-founder and content director of Mamamia, suggests ditching this sort of person: “The Friend Who Always Cancels Right Before You’re Supposed To Meet”.
3. Share a weekly meal.
Everyone needs to eat, right? Why not make an occasion out of it? Take a leaf out of actress Jennifer Lawrence‘s book, who says, “No matter how tired I am, I get dinner at least once a week with my girlfriends. Or have a sleepover. Otherwise my life is just all work.”