According to science, why should you reach out to your old friends?

It may sound difficult to reunite with an old friend who has lost contact, but recent research suggests that it may be worth the effort.According to new research Published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology of the American Psychological Association, Science really says you should. You may bother them or think that there will be little benefit to either of you beyond a simple chat, but the results of 13 experiments involving more than 5,900 participants are not. say.

Science tells us about reconnecting with old friends

The researchers who conducted these experiments wanted to test whether people accurately predict how grateful their social contact would be for hearing from them. After all, most people are contacted by people they once knew, regardless of whether the participants were college students or above, and whether their communication involved sending small gifts like simple notes or coffee. I underestimated how grateful I was for receiving it.

“Our results suggest that it has to do with how few people reach out to the surprises felt by the people they come in contact with,” the two subsequent authors wrote. Post conversation.. “When I asked the recipients what they were focusing on when showing how grateful they were, they reported that they were paying a lot of attention to their positive surprises. ..

What is important here is the element of surprise. From job appointments to childcare to the pursuit of personal hobbies, there are many things that can interfere with our relationships, which occupy a major brain space, not to mention our time. If you and your peers are drifting away, it’s possible that these wasted times are bothering you, or perhaps both. Others probably won’t sit all day because your friendship is weakening. Your outreach is a pleasant surprise as they are likely to be consumed by various events of their own.

The best way to contact old friends

Researchers have experimented with people of all ages sending notes and small gifts to people who haven’t talked for a while. Think of the relationship you had and with the person you are thinking of. If you used to work together and enjoy morning coffee together every day in the break room, you can send a coffee or Starbucks gift card to add specificity and nostalgia to your gestures. Text messages, emails, or even phone calls will work if the gift seems inappropriate.

You don’t have to pay attention to the details or unravel the history. Start small with a simple greeting and ask how they are doing. Include your own reference to the shared past or explain what encourages outreach. Studies reveal that no matter how you say things, the mere actions you show that you are thinking of others are enough to make them grateful. I am.

Unless you’re terribly misunderstanding your relationship, your old buddies should be happy to hear from you (again, according to science!) And you even if you return to another location. I also feel better about the interaction I live after catching up. And if the fear of refusal prevents you from sending that email, the investigation should give you some comfort there too: it’s your friend thinking others positively about them. It shows that there is a great opportunity to find out. hey.