How to stay in touch with long distance family

With new opportunities popping up all over the globe, moving overseas for work has become increasingly common.

But this new reality also brings about questions concerning family and community, and now more than ever, why it is so important to keep in touch with those that matter the most to you.

Here at Ding, we value the need to stay connected above all else, so we’ve taken a look at the many innovative ways you can stay in touch with your long distance family and friends!

Why is it important to stay in touch with family and friends?

The importance of keeping in touch with those you are closest with should not be underestimated.

Not only do strong close ties breed a sense of belonging, but maintaining healthy bonds with your loved ones is also integral to improving your mental health.

John Northman, a psychologist from Buffalo, NY, explains: “This idea of feeling connected becomes very reinforcing, to all of us, and it contributes to happiness, it contributes to mental health and it does contribute also to physical health.” (Webmd)

Keeping in touch with family & friends overseas

When it comes to keeping in touch with family and friends overseas, it all comes down to commitment and going the extra mile.

More often than not, your loved ones will be living in a different time zone, so keeping in touch may involve a few late nights or early mornings! 

If you have moved overseas, the onus can often fall on you to organise calls and keep in touch. Although it can sometimes feel draining, the time spent talking to your long distance family and friends will be revitalising afterwards, and well worth the dedication.

Ways to stay in touch with your long distance family and friends

While old school methods like letter writing are still endearing to some, there are so many fantastic ways to keep in touch with long distance family and friends in the 21st century. So, let’s go over the very best!

Jump on a video call 

In light of the coronavirus, video calling has become the most conventional way of keeping in touch with family and friends while overseas.

There's countless apps out there including Zoom, WhatsApp and Facebook video so chatting away has never been easier. 

We all know life can get busy sometimes, so scheduling a specific time to call may not always work for everyone. As you call more, you'll work out the times and days of the week that work best for both of you!

Start a book club

Online book clubs are a great way to mix up the usual 'catch-up' chat and add a bit of intellectual purpose to your calls with loved ones. 

All you need to do is decide on a title every few weeks, commit a portion of your day to getting through it, and then come together to discuss what you thought of the text, how it made you feel, and what you took away from it.

And if you don't like reading? Make a movie club or album club instead!

Create a WhatsApp group

Messenger group chats make staying in touch with family and friends a heap of fun!

You can celebrate birthdays together, share news articles or stories from home and receive your favourite pet photos on demand, helping you stay close to what's happening back home.

Equally, it's a fun way to share your updates about the latest holiday you were on or things that are happening in the new place you're calling home.

Play some games!

Why not innovate the standard video call with a quiz? Rewarding, fun, and entertaining, a simple quiz is a great way of keeping morale up while away from loved ones for long periods of time. Extra kudos for adding in a family or friendship round!

And, if you don’t fancy a quiz, there are tons of great games you can play with those closest to you over the internet, like Scrabble, Skribbl, and Words with Friends.

Send a care package

Gift giving has proven to be one of humanity’s favourite forms of expressing love and affection, and there’s nothing quite like getting your hands on a care package! The great thing about care packages is that you can get creative with what you send.

Each package is completely unique in that it’s catered to your relationship with a family member or close friend.

How Ding can help

Here at Ding, we want to help you stay connected with family and friends, however far away you are from them.

Since 2006, our mission has been simple – to change billions of lives by accelerating mobile access.

We are the world’s number one international mobile top-up platform in the world, and we deliver a top-up every second, via 500+ operators, across 140+ countries – helping families and friends around the world to stay connected.