You and your best friends from home are now separated, not by a few blocks, but by hundreds or maybe thousands of miles, for nine months out of the year. Holiday breaks are nice, and Facetime and Instagram help you stay connected. But how do you keep up a close friendship long-distance? And is it really that important to stay in touch with those friends from back home?

Our wellness tip for this week is yes, you should absolutely maintain those long-distance friendships with the people back home. Of course it’s important to start making new friends on campus, but it’s important to keep up your old ties, too.