How to Make New Friends — 5 Solutions That You Can Try Today.
By: Jessie London
Tags: How To, Wellbeing, How To Find Friends, Friendship, Make New Friends

How to Make New Friends — 5 Solutions That You Can Try Today.

Tried and Tested by yours truly.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Having friends is essential for most people’s wellbeing. With friends close by, we’re more likely to be active and engage in events, days out, celebrations and the like. Close bonds with other people away from our family or relationship, can help bring balance and happiness to our lives. Not only on an emotional level can friendship be important.

There are direct links between friendship and the immune system. Experts have shown that people with good friends tend to have stronger immune systems. They also have better anti-inflammatory responses that can lead to swifter wound healing and reduce the risk of illnesses. These include cardiovascular disease, arthritis and some cancers.

There can be many reasons why we need to make new friends at any stage in life.

Maybe you moved to a new city where you know few people.

Perhaps your friends from college moved away or are no longer interested in the same activities.

Maybe you never needed friends much in the past, but are keen to grow a group now.

Possibly a relationship has ended and you’re looking for new people and experiences.

You’re in the right place.

Below you’ll find five practical, tried-and-tested ways to make new friends here and now.

Following my divorce and a house move, I had very few friends and was desperate to meet some great people to share my life with.

I know I’m a good friend, caring and thoughtful, so I definitely hoped for long term friendships with those who were looking for the same thing.

Photo by Yura Fresh on Unsplash

1. Friendship Apps

Yup, just like Tinder or Bumble for dating — there are apps out there for friendships.

My personal favorite is MeetUp, but others like CitySocializer and local apps can be a great way to start. These apps allow users to join groups centered around an interest. The groups then ‘meet up’ and socialize in a group environment.

Groups vary in size and some are gender-specific and age-limited too. You can even launch your own group around your particular city or interest.

My first ever MeetUp was nerve racking. I chose a ladies’ cocktail night and messaged a few of the girls beforehand to check that it was legitimate and suitable for a newbie.

I arrived early and lingered nervously at the bar until the organizer spotted me and called me over. It was all good from there and I’ve now attended over fifty events.

I now have a huge group of friends and a smaller group of close friends, plus I run my own groups and co-host others, to help people find new friends in my city.

My favorite groups are music, book, and walking groups, but I dip in and out of others too.

A few words tips for first timers.

It’s better to go to your first couple of events with someone you know if you can. I went alone but that can be daunting.

Never, ever meet up with anyone from the app alone.

Always report unwanted approaches on the app (although this is very rare).

Some groups do charge a small admin fee. This is normal, but never send money in advance to anyone.

Make sure that you read the Safety Guidelines of any app you choose.

Photo by Jessica Devnani from Burst

2. Take Solo Trips

Again, post divorce, all I wanted to do was travel and experience new things but I didn’t have many friends left who were interested in backpacking Asia with me!

So I started researching solo trips and, amazingly, found tonnes of great companies offering adventures for single travelers of all ages.

When you take one of these trips, you’re paired with a buddy, but travel the country as a group, bonding over shared experiences. To this day, I keep in touch with friends from trips I took years ago, still sharing memories and stories.

Below is a list of ones I’d recommend. I’ve now done 5 of these trips and urge anyone to consider it:

Trek America — now owned by Exodus Travel — my personal fave.

TopDeck

Contiki

DragoMan

G-adventure

And no, I’m not on commission! All of these I’ve tried personally, or have had recommended by a friend whose opinion I trust.

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3. Try new Hobbies and Courses

It’s an oldie but a goodie. Hobbies and interests are the main things that get people out of their homes and talking to other humans. While it’s great to maintain any hobbies you already have, spreading your wings can expand your friendship group quickly and easily.

One thing I tried and loved was Roller Derby — I met a group of amazing women and got fit too! You can find new hobbies at local sports clubs, churches and town halls or on Facebook.

It doesn’t need to be something hugely active like my choice. There are cookery classes, photography groups, even coffee-tasting classes, knit ’n’ natter, and dog walkers.

Taking a course is a similar way to meet new people and expand your skill set at the same time. Have you always wanted to learn how to cook? How to paint? Or maybe something more academic?

You could take a degree course in a subject that has always interested you.

I made new friends when I learnt to dance. I’m a terrible dancer, even after the course, but girl, was it fun!

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

4. Reinvigorate old friendships

Sometimes it can be easier to make new friends than reach out to old ones, but what have you got to lose?

Reconnecting with an old friend or acquaintance can feel awkward, especially if their lives look perfect on social media (as most lives do). What would they need another friend for?

Truth is, you really can’t take someone’s Facebook or Instagram page as a whole representation of what’s happening with them. Maybe they’d love to catch up with you. If they’re close by and you didn’t despise each other the first time around, drop them a casual message and say you’re at a loose end this weekend and do they fancy reconnecting?

Give it a try. You may be surprised.

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5. Get a sociable job

A workplace can be a great spot to meet new friends. Getting a part-time job can be particularly beneficial if you don’t work or if your current role doesn’t have much of a social side. As well as paid work, there’re lots of voluntary positions out there too.

Whichever type of job you opt for, try choosing something that interests you, or something you don’t get the chance to do normally. If you love animals but don’t get much time with them, you could consider a shelter or zoo. How about a job in a museum or local music venue? You can even gain additional skills that can lead to a new career.

Voluntary work is an amazing way to help others and yourself simultaneously. I volunteered for a local community radio station. I’ve always loved music and really wanted to meet new people. I had no idea that two years later I’d be live on air, interviewing my favorite bands such as MotorHead, The Calling, Scorpions, Bonnie Tyler and more! I made lifelong friends through this voluntary position and it’s great for a CV as well. You just never know where something could lead.

Sources

Friendships enrich your life and your health by Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860#:~:text=Friends%20also%20play%20a%20significant,body%20mass%20index%20(BMI). Retrieved 4th December.

7 Ways Friendships Are Great for Your Health by Stephanie Pappas. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/53315-how-friendships-are-good-for-your-health.html Retrieved 4th December.