Keeping in touch
Keeping in touch with family and friends
Keeping in touch works best with a simple rhythm for each person: who you want to speak to every week, every month or a few times a year. Write down your circle, choose a rhythm for each person and look once a week at who is due. A short message counts too; it does not have to be dinner.
Your circle and a rhythm
| Who | Rhythm | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Parents, grandparents | Every week | A regular phone evening, a Sunday visit |
| Brothers and sisters | Every 2 weeks to every month | A message, a meal together |
| Close friends | Every month | A walk, a coffee, a video call |
| Wider family | Every 3 months | A card, a birthday, a phone call |
| Neighbours | Every 3 months | Knock on the door, drop something round |
| Old friends, former colleagues | Every 6 months to every year | A message with a photo or a memory |
Small gestures that count
- A message saying "thinking of you", with a photo
- A card in the post
- A call while you walk or on the way home
- A fixed day, such as the first Sunday of the month
- Doing something together that you do anyway: shopping, exercise, walking the dog
- A birthday in your calendar with a reminder a week before
How to keep track
- Write down your circleFamily, friends, neighbours, colleagues. Not everyone, only the people you do not want to lose touch with.
- Choose a rhythm for each personHonest, not ideal. Every month that you manage beats every week that you miss.
- Look once a weekWho is due? Plan it straight away: when will you call or send something?
How SortYourMind does it
See who you have not spoken to in a while, next to your chores
In SortYourMind the people in your life sit next to your home and your paperwork. You see who you have not spoken to for a while, and you plan a call or a card just like a chore: on a day you choose, in your free time.
- Seeing who you have not spoken to in a while
- Plans with people fitted around your calendar
- Tell SyMon: "call Gran on Sunday, half an hour"
No card needed. Basic stays free. Works in the browser on any device.
Questions
How often should you be in touch with friends?
There is no fixed rule. Choose a rhythm for each person that you can really keep up; keeping track matters more than how often.