From Recluse to Social Butterfly: 10 Tips for Building New Friendships
Friends, friends, friends! We get it; making quality friends is not as easy as an adult. But they say good friends are worth their weight in gold, so it’s essential to put ourselves out there and potentially meet new people. Forget about reclusivity! It’s time to be a social butterfly. Here are our best tips for building new friendships.
1. Increase Your Confidence
Putting yourself out there to make new friends is a confident affair! There’s no time to be shy! Before you approach anyone, ensure your confidence is top-tier. Ensure you’re happy and in a great mental state to maintain a potential friendship, and be open to anything that may come your way. It’s also best to manage your expectations as you go out there, as you don’t know what you’ll find.
2. Establish Common Ground
“Find common interests you share with someone and start conversations on similar topics. For example, if you both like soccer, talk about upcoming seasons, favorite players, and things like that,” advises a user of a popular forum. When working with common ground, you can open up good conversation and understand another person’s perspective. It’s also a great way to talk about many other things.
3. Start Off Low-Key
Don’t succumb to the pressure that tells you to put yourself out there immediately. The best friendships happen on a slow but sure basis. Another user advises, “Don’t ask if someone wants to be friends up front. Instead, offer a compliment or two, ask them for coffee, and if they seem enthusiastic, their friendship will come later.”
4. Ask Your Friends To Invite Their Friends
As you’re looking to expand your social circle, there is nothing wrong with meeting those who are close to your friends. Ask your friends out for a lunch or coffee date and ask them to bring a plus one. When they show up, don’t shy away from making conversation. Who knows? It could be an avenue to find common interests and develop a new friendship.
5. Say Yes To Invites
How will you make friends if you’re always stuck at home and don’t want to go out and meet people? Granted, you can chat with people online, but it may require a couple of invites. You can’t stay stuck on your phone forever. Take a risk and say “yes” to that brunch, girls’ trip, or barbecue. “I’m a homebody but decided to be adventurous and go on a trip with a few friends. On the same trip, I met my husband and made lifelong friends!” a woman details. See what saying yes can do for you?
6. Try Social Friendship Apps
Social media has made connections with people worldwide easier than we thought. It’s simple to make a profile on a few of these sites and start conversations with others. Who knows where this could lead? You may end up making new friends in and out of your country. Even better is that the apps are free to sign up.
7. Try New Hobbies
If you’ve always wanted to try something new, now would be the time to do it. You’ll take yourself out of your comfort zone and meet many new people when you venture into new things. Whether it’s the tennis court or a coffee shop around the corner, you will find someone to converse with.
8. Be Intentional About Staying Connected
When you’ve done all the work and are on the right path toward friendships, it would not be very sensible if you don’t try to stay connected. Friends talk from time to time. It wouldn’t help if you went out for lunch and disappeared entirely afterward. Know that keeping a friendship is just as important as making it. Shoot a text or call occasionally and keep the plans and conversations going.
9. Be Consistent
It’s inadvisable to look for friends one day and go for months before trying again. “Making new friends is one of those things that need consistent effort,” says a female user. It’s best to stay on track even when disappointments occur. Haven’t you heard this before? Consistency is key!
10. Be Patient, It’s a Process
Good things don’t come overnight, and they always take time. And good friendships are worth waiting for. You may try a couple of times and still not meet any potential friends. Stay the course, and don’t give up. The right relationships will work out, but you’ll find that they always take time to sprout and grow. Try not to feel rejected if they decline your offer; there are still plenty of friends to make.
Source: Reddit.
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