If you’re still in school, consider taking an elective you’d never otherwise take. If you’re not big on art and most of your friends are into sports, an art class may introduce you to a new crowd.
If all of your hobbies are solitary, there are probably social groups out there for them. Reading is the perfect example—if you love a good book, join a book club! If you’re still in high school or college, there are probably social clubs all over the place that you could join. If you’re struggling to find group pertaining to your hobby, check out Meetup. Facebook groups for your area may also have resources for you.
If you normally do yoga at home, signing up for a guided yoga class will expose you to people who love the same kind of things you do! Not only is this a great way to meet people, it’s a fun way to stay fit.
Open mics are awesome options if you’re a singer, poet, or musician. Connecting with other artists can make for some rewarding friendships!
Church groups can be a great way to volunteer and meet people with similar religious beliefs if that’s important to you. [6] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If you enjoy being outside, you might volunteer to help out at your local park, or to coach a kid’s sports team. You might offer to help out at a local soup kitchen, or see if anyone needs a hand at your local community center.
The people who work at the bar or coffee shop will get to know you too. Maybe there’s a fun barista or bartender looking for new friends.
An easy way to chat a neighbor up is to ask about something that happened in the area. You might say, “Hey, do you know why they shut Main Street down last week?” or, “What was all that noise last weekend? It sounded like it was coming from the end of the block. ” Alternatively, you could ask for a recommendation. “Do you know if there’s a good Mediterranean place around here?” can spark a friendly conversation.
This might have been an uncommon thing to do a few years ago, but this is super normal these days. Don’t feel weird about finding friends online.
The other way to do this is to simply ask them to bring you along the next time they go to a party or head over to a friend’s place for poker night.
For example, if you’re talking to a new person and they ask you how you are, you might normally say, “I’m good, you?” Instead, try saying something like, “I’m great actually! I had a wonderful day. I went shopping actually. ”
This can be a little uncomfortable if you’re not used to it. The good news is that it gets a lot easier the more often you do it.
More meaningful compliments might include things like, “You’re really kind,” or, “I love the way you think about things. ” You don’t need to go over the top or anything—these little comments matter.
The more time you spend outside, the more likely you are to meet someone new. A dog is a great motivation for getting out of the house. Don’t get a dog if this is the only reason you’d want one. If you’ve been strongly considering it though, maybe this is the little nudge you need to justify getting one.
