You’ve said it. You’ve heard it. And let’s be real, you probably meant it… at the time. But between work, family stuff, and the never-ending to-do list, that coffee date with your bestie from uni somehow gets pushed to next month… again.

This article dives into why adult friendships can be hard to maintain (spoiler: it’s not because you secretly hate each other), and how life stages—like moving in with a partner, having kids, or just trying to stay afloat—can quietly push friendships to the back burner. Psychologists and friendship experts weigh in on how to stop ghosting your friends (even accidentally) and how to keep those connections strong, even when life gets messy.

Because let’s face it: friendships deserve more than just a “we should catch up!” text.