Contributed by Jennifer Andrews, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

There are few things more important in life than spending time with good friends and family.

However, meeting new people and establishing long-lasting friendships can be difficult for many people. In addition to our busy lives and work obligations, we often struggle with fitting in time for friends which leads to diminished relationships over time. Try a few of these top ten ways to keep friends to maintain a healthy social life for life.

10. Make plans

Set up pre-planned dates with your friends to ensure you keep them in your life despite a hectic work or family routine. Try scheduling appointments by marking them in your calendar and on your phone to keep that time slot open for you. This will also help you avoid the risks of skipping out or forgetting friendly get-togethers last minute.

9. Keep your commitments

Scheduling lunch dates or a night out with friends is pointless if you don’t actually follow through and honour those dates. Be sure to keep your commitments and limit cancellations that aren’t due to emergencies or unplanned events such as your child getting sick.

8. Gifts

No, you don’t need to pay to keep your friends! However, purchasing a gift that has meaning to give to a friend can help strengthen relationships and build bonds. In addition to birthdays or anniversaries, giving a gift unexpectedly or arranging to have a monthly gift delivery can show a friend that you are thinking of them and thankful they are in your life.

7. Phone calls

Stay in touch with friends by picking up the phone to give them a call regularly. This will keep you in contact during days and weeks that you are unable to see each other. It is also a great way to stay connected to friends that live in other cities or countries.

6. Show interest

Usually friendships develop based on common interests, habits and likes. However, if your friend shows interest in something that isn’t enjoyable to you, don’t brush it off. Rather, try partaking in her hobbies in some manner through support or presence. For instance, you could cheer a friend on at her soccer game or volunteer or donate money to a charity or cause she is invested in.

5. Be there

Simply letting a friend know that you are there to support him or she at all times is essential to keeping long-lasting friendships. Make sure she has your most current up to date contact information such as phone number, email and/or address for times of need or emergency.

4. Extend invitations

A great way to keep friends is to invite them to events or friendly gatherings they otherwise would not attend. If your spouse or co-worker is throwing a party, try inviting friends outside of that social circle to attend. This will not only broaden both your social networks but also serve to keep you connected with others and strengthen friendly bonds.

3. Know them

Express interest in your friends by getting to know them. Learning what they like to do in their leisure time, what their jobs are, what foods they like and about future goals shows them that you care and want to keep them in your life.

2. Listen and support

Sometimes friends need each other for advice on how to deal with certain situations or events in their life. However, other times, simply listening can be a great source of support for them. Most people in life need to vent and get out frustrations or concerns at times and having a shoulder to cry on can be a valuable thing.

1. Honesty

One of the true fundamentals of any relationship, maintaining honest and open communication is imperative for any friendship. Telling lies, not being truthful or hurting friend’s feelings is a sure-fire way to keep friendships short and lead to their dissolution.