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Contact Frequency Calculator

Optimize your social wellness by calculating contact frequency for friends and family based on Dunbar's Number principles.

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Category Mental Health

Tier 1: Inner Circle

Tier 2: Close Friends

Tier 3: Network

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About

Maintaining relationships requires time and cognitive effort. Anthropologist Robin Dunbar suggested that humans have a cognitive limit to the number of stable social relationships they can maintain (approx. 150). This tool operationalizes that theory, helping users create a sustainable contact schedule.

By categorizing your network into tiers - from your "Inner Circle" to "Casual Acquaintances" - this calculator determines exactly how many calls, messages, or meetups you need to perform weekly to keep those connections alive. It prevents social burnout by quantifying the effort required for relationship maintenance.

social health dunbar number wellness relationship management productivity

Formulas

The Weekly Contact Load (W) is calculated by summing the required touchpoints for each tier divided by 52 weeks:

W = k∑i=1 (Ni × Fi52)

Where N is the number of people in tier i and F is the annual frequency of contact.

Reference Data

CircleMax PeopleTarget Freq.Annual Touchpoints
Loved Ones5Weekly260
Close Friends15Monthly180
Friends50Every 6 Mo100
Acquaintances150Yearly150

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. The number is typically cited as 150.
Without a system, we often neglect "Tier 2" and "Tier 3" friends. A calculator shows the realistic time cost of maintaining a large network, encouraging you to prioritize effectively.