6 Swap WhatsApp for a quick phone call

As a journalist, I know that all the best interviews happen either in person or on the phone – and yet I regularly catch up with my closest friends about important life events over text. Waldinger says it’s a habit we need to train ourselves out of, because so much of how we communicate and connect isn’t through actual words but the way we say them. “Speaking to someone is one of the easiest ways to feel close to them; writing messages doesn’t have the same impact.”

And there’s no need for a lengthy phone call, as the study shows that speaking to your closest friend for a mere eight minutes boosts happy hormones and makes you feel more relaxed.