It’s easy to lose touch with a good friend, but rekindling a friendship can be hard.

Where should you start? And how can you approach the process of getting to know someone again after years of growing apart?

Morning Shift dives into the subject with a writer who explores pop psychology and relationships.

On reaching out to friends you haven’t talked to in a while

Anna Goldfarb: Reestablish contact with something low-stakes, like, “Hey, we’re having a party, we’d love to see you,” and see if they take the bait with a group situation. It might be too intimidating to [meet] one-on-one to start.

On knowing when to give up

Goldfarb: Friendships are completely voluntary. If [your friend] hasn’t responded to your many gestures, I think it’s time to move on to a new phase of acceptance, and mourning the friendship, and just getting some distance from it… It’s very painful — losing a friend is as much of a heartbreak as losing a romantic relationship.

GUEST: Anna Goldfarb, freelance writer featured in the New York Times, Vice, The Cut and others

LEARN MORE: How To Revive A Friendship (New York Times 7/26/18)

How To Maintain Sibling Relationships (New York Times 5/8/18)

How To Maintain Friendships (New York Times 1/18/18)