10 Tips To REALLY Stay In Touch With People You Care About

There are so many people in our lives that we want to see more and then ... for some reason we don't. Despite the best intentions, it can be hard to connect when too much time has passed. Here are a few ways we can all be better about keeping in touch.

1. Every time you get a wedding invitation or a birth announcement, write down the date somewhere so that you'll always remember that person’s special day.

Milestones are a great opportunity to connect, especially if the wedding or birth happened within the last few years. Your text or email can begin with a simple line like, “Remember that time at your wedding when we…”

2. On that note, look at the big events in people’s lives as a chance to reach out.

If somebody gets engaged, married, has a child, buys a house, or gets a new job, it’s an open invitation to say hello. Besides, celebrating somebody’s successes is a good way to get rid of Facebook jealousy (which we all know at least on some level is a real thing).

3. Let people know when you move or change jobs.

When you move or get a new phone number or start a new job, send out a super short note to your friends and family.

4. Make it easy for people to write back to you.

If you send a letter or card, consider including a pre-addressed (and pre-stamped!) envelope with the card to make their response even easier.

5. Relive fun times by sending photos.

If you take pictures of an event, you'll have a great reminder of the times you had with your friends. Plus, when you send the photo to friends, it will give you an opportunity to relive the fun times when you send them the photo.

6. Put plans on the calendar, no matter how far away they are.

This is the biggest difference that you can make when you tell somebody you want to see them again soon! Put the plans on the calendar, even if that date is weeks away.

7. Be real.

When people ask how you're doing, talk about how you really are. Don't just say you're fine! Share what’s on your mind, what’s the last thing you got really excited about, what’s one thing you are looking forward to this week.

8. Tell people they’re important to you.

Sometimes people need to hear that. And if "important" feels like too strong of a word, start with something more fun - tell them they’re awesome, fun, and your favorite person to grab a cup of coffee with. And then do something about it.

9. Be understanding.

At different points in people’s lives they have different priorities — and something that may seem important to them may not seem important to you. The best thing you can do is be there to support them, and be there for them once they have reached their next milestone in life.

10. After you hang out with a friend, send a quick email to tell them what a great time you had.

That will inspire you both to do it again.