In 2023, professors from a myriad of colleges published a study on the mental health benefits of reaching out to one’s friend or family at least once a day.
The study, which was published in the science journal Communication Research, involved 900 participants from five university campuses before, during, and after the 2020 pandemic lockdowns.
Throughout the study, the students were asked to engage in one of seven social interactions and report back the same night to see how each one affected their well-being.
The seven behaviors included catching up with someone, engaging in meaningful conversation, joking around, showing compassion, listening, valuing another person’s opinion, and offering sincere compliments.
Certain students were assigned the different behaviors at random, with a control group receiving none.
Overall, researchers found that the act of intentionally reaching out to a friend or loved one, in any regard, made a notable difference in one’s well-being.
“Results suggest that engaging in as little as one communication behavior with one friend in a day can improve daily well-being,” observed Jeffrey Hall, lead author and professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas.
Christina Thomas, a licensed professional counselor, told Texas Health that the study highlights how important socializing has become, especially in the years after COVID-19 first spread.
“The truth is when we are pulled in so many directions, there is a certain level of mental isolation that we experience,” Thomas said. “Even though the study doesn’t mention a length of time, it is pretty apparent that offering a sincere compliment or catching up doesn’t really need so much of your time. [Even] small interactions foster a sense of belonging and acceptance.”
In 2026, a new study commissioned by Madrí Excepcional set out to see if there was an exact science to the “perfect” hang out.
When the beer company surveyed their British customers, they found that the ideal time for a catch-up with friends averaged out to 84 minutes.
According to those surveyed, 84 minutes is enough time to cover all the essentials that make a catch-up feel worthwhile.
In descending order, people ranked favorable conversation topics as “family updates,” “friendship group gossip,” “work news,” “relationships,” and “upcoming travel plans.”
Additionally, 62% preferred shorter, more frequent hangouts with friends than sporadic, large-scale social events.
And while nearly half of respondents said that social plans have become more scheduled than they were five years ago, nearly seven in ten people said they were open to more spontaneous hangouts with friends.
But not everyone has 84 minutes to spare every day.
In her interview with Texas Health, Thomas argued that even the smallest amount of time dedicated to checking in on a friend could make a world of difference.
“We don’t have to check in with our friends every single day, and we don’t need to spend hours on end on the phone either. It’s all about prioritizing and setting time apart for a quick text message or a call,” Thomas said.
“You can put aside about 5 minutes a day to quickly respond back to messages, whether that be at the start of your day, at the end, or somewhere in the middle.”
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