How to make more time for your friends

Life can get busy, and sometimes, days turn into weeks and you suddenly realize that you haven't had time to connect with those most important to you. Prioritizing your emotional health is important and making time for loved ones helps to promote this. If you are finding it difficult to block off time in your schedule, here are three tips for finding ways to connect.

Set aside time to reply

Set aside a few minutes of your day to respond to texts or messages from friends and family. For example, you could use 10 minutes of your lunchtime to reply to people. Even short interactions can help you stay connected until you are available for a longer, quality visit.

If you don’t enjoy texting, give your friends a quick call instead. Even a short 5-minute phone call is enough to catch up to see how they’re doing.

Do housework while on the phone

Housework is often a long and tedious task. Next time there’s a pile of washing to do or several rooms that need cleaning, pick up the phone and have a chat with your friends while you get your chores done. This will make the housework more enjoyable, and it also provides valuable time in your busy schedule for your friends.

Although multi-tasking and quality time normally do not go hand-in-hand, sometimes it's ok to pair a monotonous task with catching up. Let your friend know what you are doing as you chat and perhaps you can even use your phone time to plan for an in-person visit.

Invite your friend to join you

Do you love to workout, visit art galleries, walk you dog? Why not invite your friend to join you? Finding shared interests is a great way to bond and allows you to enjoy an activity with someone you care about.

For example, you could use your workout time as a way to catch up with friends. It will not only keep you both accountable to your exercise plans, it may also serve as a motivating factor, allowing you to look forward to sticking to your goals.

If your friends attend the same gym as you, consider arranging a workout session or booking the same gym class with them. Alternatively, you could head to the park to get in an outdoor workout.