At Her.ie we know how easy it is to lose touch with friends what with the demands of work and family but we also believe that friendship is very important. In our opinion, no woman should be without a strong network of girly mates.
For that reason, we’re giving you the lowdown on what you should and shouldn’t be doing to keep your friendships intact. We know how time-poor we all are these days but some things in life are worth making time for and friendship is definitely one of them.
Do call/Skype/text/message them on Facebook during the week. This is the easiest and quickest way to catch-up with a friend. You can do it on your way home from work (as long as you’re not driving) or when you get home. These snippets of information are great for keeping up-to-date with each other especially if distance is an issue.
Don’t use this as your only means of communication. While it is a handy way to stay in touch, you shouldn’t rely on social media as your main channel of communication. It takes the personal interaction out of your communication and is way too convenient.
Do arrange a day every week or month where you physically see each other. Make the effort to set aside one morning or evening to meet up and have a good aul chinwag. If you have a close group of friends, that’s even better as you get to see them all in the one go!
Don’t cancel this rendezvous unless there is an absolute emergency. Make it a rule that nobody can pull out of the weekly or monthly catch-up unless there is an emergency or some unavoidable excuse. If it’s something silly like the weather, that friend has to cover the costs of the next outing. If she doesn’t turn up, you know where she lives.
Do meet up for coffee after work. There is nothing to prevent you from stopping for a quick coffee with a friend on the way home from work. It only takes half an hour or so out of your schedule which is plenty of time to fill her in on all the news and gossip.
Don’t go out for drinks on a work night. While midweek drinks are grand, you might get carried away if you haven’t seen your friend for a while. This can of course lead to a heavy night and a hangover in work the next day which is never a good idea. If this does happen, it can make you less willing to meet up again.
Do invite your friend to your house. That way, it saves you time if you have something to do at home. But just make sure you can devote all your time to your friend when she arrives. This means no boyfriend, husband or kids in the same room.
Don’t get used to this as you will start to take it for granted. Mix it up by staying in and going out or heading to her place for a change. Your friend will eventually get tired if she’s always the one making the effort.
Do meet up during the holidays. It’s obviously easier to meet up with a friend when you both have more time on your hands. Use this time to your advantage and arrange something that you couldn’t when you are both working. You could go shopping for a day or book a table for dinner.
Don’t let this be your only meeting-up time. While holidays are a great time to rendezvous with
friends, don’t let this be the only time you make an effort to meet up. Holidays only happen a few times a year which isn’t adequate for a strong friendship.
What are you waiting for? Get in touch with your friend or friends to organise a meeting. Remember that friends are one of the most important things in your life, so you should always make time for them.
