“Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, and the other is gold.” If you grew up with that classic children’s rhyme, you know that keeping your old friends around is important and rewarding. Make a plan for how to reach out to an old friend with these tips from the experts.
How to Reach Out to an Old Friend
Have you ever lost track of an old friend? It can be a little surprising when you realize you haven’t spoken to someone you care about in a while, but it happens to all of us. Life gets busy, and keeping up with everyone we care about can be difficult. As a result, sometimes our long-standing friendships can fall by the wayside, and they may need a little extra tender loving care. It may feel awkward to reach out to someone you haven’t spoken with in some time, but don’t let that stop you from rekindling an old friendship! These tips for how to reach out to an old friend can help.
Start with Social Media
If you aren’t sure how to reconnect with an old friend, their social media presence can give you the opening you’re looking for. Social media can be an excellent way to test the waters and re-acquaint yourself with an old friend, especially ones that live at a distance. It can also give you a way to casually interact with them that doesn’t feel forced or out of nowhere. Look at things like their Facebook profile or Instagram account, and interact with their posts in a friendly way.
Let the Past Stay in the Past
Sometimes, people drift apart over a conflict. Other times, nothing in particular happened, but one person or the other may have some complicated feelings about how the friendship cooled down. Even if you have mixed feelings about reconnection, it’s important to remember that the benefit of having old friends far outweighs any petty resentments that could keep you apart. If you have a conflict to resolve, address it head-on and solve it, but make an effort to let the little things go and focus on the good parts of reconnection.
Show Them That You Care
Your old friends may be curious about why you’re reaching out to them, so be sure they know that friendship is your top priority! Being honest, kind, and genuine is a surefire way to rekindle an old friendship for good:
- Don’t play it too cool when you reach out. You don’t necessarily want to overwhelm your old friends, but you want to let them know how excited you are to reconnect. Let them know how happy you are to be talking again, and be warm and friendly when you interact.
- Recount treasured memories that you share. Thinking about the good times can reinforce your bond and remind you and your friend why the friendship is valuable.
- Make future plans, and follow through with your friends to ensure they happen. Try scheduling a monthly call or coffee date, or find an activity you’d enjoy doing together. By initiating plans and showing enthusiasm about them, you’ll show your friends that you’re serious about reconnecting with them and enjoy some quality time together.
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Now that you know how to reach out to an old friend, is there someone coming to mind? There’s never a better time to rekindle an old friendship than now!
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