Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy We Should Reconnect With Old FriendsYes, Things Might Get AwkwardBut We Can Make Things Less Awkward!

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Table of Contents

Why We Should Reconnect With Old Friends

Yes, Things Might Get Awkward

But We Can Make Things Less Awkward!

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We all have fond memories of an old friend—of chatting, laughing, and spending time with them. Life happens and we may have drifted apart over time, but occasionally, something may remind us of them, and we’ll briefly wonder how they are.

If you’velost touch with a friend, you’re not alone. According to a 2016 study, people often lose touch with others after age 25.Life can get in the way, with hectic schedules, different paths, life changes, and big moves making it difficult to keep in touch with all the people in your life.

At a Glance

If you’ve beenmissing your friendand thinking about reaching out, you may worry about whether it’ll be just like old times or uncomfortable and awkward.

You may wonder whether you’ll have anything to talk about, whether they miss your friendship and want to be friends again, or whether there are any hard feelings. But the benefits, like reliving happy memories and reconnecting with your past self, may be worth the effort.

These are some of the benefits of reconnecting with an old friend, according toSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and professor at Yeshiva University:

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As close as we were with our friend, there may be awkwardness in the relationship now. For instance, we might experience the following:

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Dr. Romanoff suggests some tips that can help us prevent any awkwardness while reconnecting with an old friend:

What This Means For YouReconnecting with an old friend can bring up a lot of emotions, including excitement,nostalgia, insecurity, andawkwardness. However, if we’re able to get over the awkwardness, we can rekindle our friendship based on the times we shared with our friend in the past as we get to know them in the present.

What This Means For You

Reconnecting with an old friend can bring up a lot of emotions, including excitement,nostalgia, insecurity, andawkwardness. However, if we’re able to get over the awkwardness, we can rekindle our friendship based on the times we shared with our friend in the past as we get to know them in the present.

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2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bhattacharya K, Ghosh A, Monsivais D, Dunbar RIM, Kaski K.Sex differences in social focus across the life cycle in humans.R Soc Open Sci. 2016;3(4):160097. doi:10.1098/rsos.160097Blieszner R, Ogletree AM, Adams RG.Friendship in later life: a research agenda.Innov Aging. 2019;3(1):igz005. doi:10.1093/geroni/igz005

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bhattacharya K, Ghosh A, Monsivais D, Dunbar RIM, Kaski K.Sex differences in social focus across the life cycle in humans.R Soc Open Sci. 2016;3(4):160097. doi:10.1098/rsos.160097Blieszner R, Ogletree AM, Adams RG.Friendship in later life: a research agenda.Innov Aging. 2019;3(1):igz005. doi:10.1093/geroni/igz005

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bhattacharya K, Ghosh A, Monsivais D, Dunbar RIM, Kaski K.Sex differences in social focus across the life cycle in humans.R Soc Open Sci. 2016;3(4):160097. doi:10.1098/rsos.160097Blieszner R, Ogletree AM, Adams RG.Friendship in later life: a research agenda.Innov Aging. 2019;3(1):igz005. doi:10.1093/geroni/igz005

Bhattacharya K, Ghosh A, Monsivais D, Dunbar RIM, Kaski K.Sex differences in social focus across the life cycle in humans.R Soc Open Sci. 2016;3(4):160097. doi:10.1098/rsos.160097

Blieszner R, Ogletree AM, Adams RG.Friendship in later life: a research agenda.Innov Aging. 2019;3(1):igz005. doi:10.1093/geroni/igz005

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