When did making friends as an adult become so hard?
Somewhere along the way, we grew up. Life started getting bogged down with responsibilities and plans for the future. While much of this is exciting, what happens all too often as we start laying aside our childhood, is we unintentionally put aside our innate ability to make new friends easily.
Don’t believe me? Think back to when we were kids and a trip to the playground ended in a ‘new best friends’ after about 20 minutes of sharing the swings with a stranger. Now ask yourself, when is the last time you connected that quickly with someone new?
As we get older making friends becomes a challenge as we don’t have the opportunities we had when we were younger and everyone was at similar life stages.
The problem is, adult friendships are crucial, not just to our mental well-being, but to our physical health as well. Research has proven that having friends leads to less stress, less chance of heart disease, and longer life.
As older adults where can we go to meet people and how do we find these new friends?
Where to Find Friends as an Adult
Try an App
Hey!VINA works much like a dating app, but with one very significant difference. Here the goal is to connect with someone with similar interests you may want to befriend. A quick swipe of your finger starts a conversation, leading to a connection and eventually, a new friendship.
Try a Meetup
Looking for some fun group activities or networking event in your area? Meetup.com is easy to use on your computer, tablet, or phone. Here you search for and join events you may be interested in. You’re then presented with a variety of meet ups groups who like to engage in those activities, giving yourself a chance to meet several interesting people at once is a great way of building new connections.
Learn Something
Signing up for a course or night school class allows you to indulge in a new interest at the same time as meeting someone new. Always wanted to cook gourmet dinners? Been thinking about attending a language class? Whatever interests you, this is a surefire way to meet new people and potential friends.
Grab a Book
Your local library or independent bookstore is a great place to indulge a love of reading while at the same time, getting to know someone new. A book club or study group can stimulate you intellectually and introduce you to people in the community who share a love for the written word.
Take a Walk with a Furry Friend
If you have a dog, why not explore more than your own backyard? By taking Fido to your local dog park, you’ll have an opportunity to meet other dog lovers, while at the same time, giving your faithful friend a chance for a little puppy socialisation. This is a win all around!
Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact. Anyone can experience loneliness when their social relationship is not the way they would like.
Meeting new people doesn’t have to be complicated but it does require having the right mindset, making an effort and some research. No matter what your age opportunities to make new friendships truly are everywhere. So be bold, get out of your comfort zone and try something new. You’ll be glad you did!
Read our related post: Tips for making friends as an adult.
