How to Maintain your Friendships while you’re Dating

When I was single, I most of my free time with other single friends. My married friends were always a bit more encumbered with work and their partners. When they started having children, getting together became even more elusive, so soon I stopped trying and let them reach out to me.

Now that I am married, I find it more difficult to schedule impromptu meetings with my friends. I'm making a concerted effort however to maintain these friendships and our connection, because I know how it felt to be last on the priority list when I was single. Following are some tips to keep your friendships strong while you're dating or enjoying a new relationship.

Make time to talk on the phone. Maybe it's hard to get together in person, but keep in touch over the phone. Call on your commute to or from work, or schedule time to talk with your friends. Don't cut the calls short because your partner is home or you're killing time waiting for him to arrive. Make sure you have time set aside to have real conversations.

Don't bring your partner on all your get-togethers. This may seem obvious, but when you're in love, you want to spend all your time together. Even time set aside to spend with your friends. Instead of bringing your partner along when you're meeting a single friend, go solo. You don't have to do everything with your partner, and it helps you to have independence as well as a new life you're trying to build together.

Engage with your friends. Maybe you feel more distracted now when you get together with friends, especially if you don't relate to their current dating problems like you used to. Your friends don't necessarily want advice from you, they want your friendship and understanding. Listen to what they have to say. Remember to be a friend first and foremost.

Continue to build your life outside of your relationship. In the beginning it's easy to let your routine slide when you're swept up in feelings of romance. Career can wait, the gym can wait...and of course, friends can wait. But this isn't healthy in the long run. After a couple of months of being swept up, it's time to re-establish your own life as well. Do things for yourself, including having alone time, exercising, eating right, and nourishing your friendships.