Life is busy, crazy busy. We get caught up in our own lives, our own schedules, our own mental health. But when we get so caught up with everything going on in our personal lives, we forget about our friends. We forget to check in on our friends, even though they may be going through the same stress and craziness as we are.

And then, when we finally do check-in and reconnect with our friends, many of us ask that dreaded question: "How are you?" We certainly don't realize how hard that question can be for some people, it's something all of us ask out of habit. Many times, we don't know how to answer it. And even if we do know how to answer it, we keep it simple by just saying, "I'm fine."

While the "I'm fine" answer is adequate in some conversations, in other situations it just might not be enough.

For example, if we're having a talk with a significant other or a close friend, "I'm fine" just isn't sufficient. So to avoid that answer altogether, we must avoid the question. If you want to avoid becoming uncomfortable from that dreaded "how are you" question, here are 15 other ways that you can meaningfully check in on your loved ones.

Don't let "I'm fine" be the answer you expect and accept. Your friends need you to check on them, it just takes a little thought and love to help them.

Inspired by @sitwithwhit on Instagram.