One of the biggest challenges while living away from your friends and family back home is staying connected. Things like physical distance and the time change can make it feel impossible. Regardless of these challenges, staying in touch needs to be a priority. Here are some tips to help you stay connected to your loved ones back home.

Establish a routine

Set aside a time every week to contact your family and friends. You can use a time difference calculator to help find a time that works for both of you. Not every call has to involve talking and catching up. It can also be nice to leave your camera on while you both do your own thing.

If you don’t have time to talk long, you can try the concept called the eight-minute phone call. This was from a study by the New York Times and the rules are simple. Set a time every week for a brief eight-minute phone call. Although it doesn’t seem long, the study proved that short meaningful conversations benefit our mental health. Those who took part in the study had reduced depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Give this a try if you have a busy schedule.

Be creative in how you stay connected

It doesn’t always have to be catching up on the phone. Instead, try doing some of the same things together. For example, read the same book or watch the same movie. Then, you can discuss it together. You can also try the website Teleparty which allows you to watch TV at the same time as another person. If you want to communicate as a group, try apps like Skype, Google Meet, or WhatsApp. These allow you to have group chats and video calls. You can also try out playing online games with your friends and family. Websites like CrowdParty and Jackbox (you may need to a game to play) allow you to play games as a group.

Share your life

It’s important to keep your friends and family informed on what’s happening with you. Use social media to share special moments with your loved ones and see their updates too. When life gets busy, social media is an easy way to reduce the distance and keep you feeling connected to home. If you don’t want to share with everyone, make a close friends list. You can do this on Instagram and Facebook. This lets you share with only a select group of people.

Have virtual meals together

Eating a meal with family or friends has many mental and physical health benefits. Adults who eat with others are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and less fast food. Research has also shown that it lowers levels of stress and improves your overall emotional well-being. Physical distance doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying a meal with your loved ones. You can video call and eat together. In Japan, they call this “on-nomi” which means to virtually have drinks with your friends. Do you have a favourite family recipe? Why not cook it at the same time as your family on a video call and eat together? If you don’t want to cook, even just sharing a meal during a video call is a nice way to connect with your loved ones.

Happiness Is A Family That Eats Together
 
By Alexis Ogaranko
 
 
Sources: The Benefits of Family Dinner for Adults, Anne Fischel, Ph.D.; 45 Ways to Stay in Touch with Long-Distance Family Members, Mary Polanski; and Building Better Bonds through “the Eight-Minute Catch-Up, Emily Piddy. Accessed January, 2025.