Good friends are precious: they challenge us, energise us, support us, and make our lives richer and more colourful. It takes time to build solid friendships, and we need to nurture them to keep them going strong. This can be challenging when life gets busy, or we experience major changes like retirement – but it’s worth putting in the effort to maintain the healthy relationships and social connections that add value to our lives, especially as we get older.

“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stay in touch
This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get distracted by life, and before you know it, you may not have spoken to a good friend for weeks or months. So make a point of calling them every so often to catch up. Technology can also help you stay in touch – WhatsApp, for example, is a handy way to stay connected, particularly if you create groups for mutual friends where you can share news and photos or organise meet-ups.

Celebrate milestones
Add important dates like birthdays and anniversaries to your smartphone calendar and set reminders. Sending a message or making a phone call, while a small gesture, can mean a lot to a friend and make them feel valued.

Enjoy shared activities
Why not catch up while doing something you both enjoy? Having a regular shared commitment can be a fun and low-effort way to keep up a friendship. And there are plenty of fantastic activities to choose from – e.g. join a running group together, form a dinner club with mutual friends, start a book club, or take an art, photography or cooking class together.

Be open to invitations
There will be times when you feel under the weather or life is just too busy, but for the most part, try to accept invitations to connect. If you say ‘no’ too many times, your friends may feel that you’re not interested in seeing them. It’s worth making space in your life (and schedule) for the people you value – and you’ll likely feel refreshed and recharged after spending time with them.