Discuss four ways to improve your maintenance skills in long-distance friendships, providing concrete examples of how to apply the concepts

What will be an ideal response?

Although long-distance friendships can be difficult to maintain, four strategies can improve one's ability to maintain long-distance friendships. First, it is important to make sure to maintain frequent contact with the long-distance friend. Interactions need not be lengthy or require a specific reason to occur, but contact is an important communication strategy. For example, I might e–mail or call regularly just to say hello or to share what I have been doing.

A second strategy is to encourage openness. People who disclose their thoughts and feelings on important and commonplace issues, and encourage their friends to do the same, have more satisfying and enduring relationships. Even disclosing information about mundane everyday tasks helps friends feel connected and understood. For example, I might discuss what I did over the last day or week and encourage my friend to do the same by asking questions about events in his/her life.

It is also useful to engage in positivity. This means being upbeat and cheerful during interactions. Even over e–mail emoticons can relay positive feelings and let my friend know I am happy to hear from him/her.

Finally, offer social support in order to help one's friend when he/she is in need. Instrumental support can be offered through concrete behaviors that will help one's friend manage his/her problems such as providing advice or information. One can also offer emotional support by listening and letting the friend know that he/she is cared for, bolstering feelings of self-worth. For example, I might offer advice on how to deal with a problem and then express confidence that I know my friend will be able to effectively work through the situation.