It can be very intimidating trying to make new friends. It’s can even be anxiety-inducing if you’ve moved to a new place. But having friends is very rewarding and worth the effort of meeting new people.
Friends form an important part of any person’s life because they stick with you through the ups and downs. There are many things you can do to attract people into your life. Let’s look at six ways that will help you make friends.
1. Join a class or start a new hobby
Doing a course at your local college over the weekend or in the evenings can benefit you in two ways. First, you build a new skill that helps your career. Second, you also meet new people. Generally speaking, you find a diverse group of people doing educational courses. This creates the opportunity to meet interesting people over shared assignments and discussions.
It’s also helpful to start a new hobby. Joining a book club, a hiking group or a dance community can get you trying new things while meeting other people. You can even do this online, try finding membership sites related to your course or hobby where you can communicate with fellow learners.
2. Use online platforms like social media and blogs
Online platforms make it easy to meet new people. It’s especially great because you can find friends based on common interests from anywhere in the world. It’s as simple as creating a new account on social media and joining interest groups. You can even start a blog to talk about your interests. You’ll be able to spark conversations with readers by using email marketing and building your subscriber base.
You can look up membership site platforms for meeting people in your location. Online platforms create opportunities that you may not find in real life. They help bring together people based on interests and location and provides a great space to find interesting new friends.
3. Share information about yourself
It’s really important to listen well to other people to understand them better. But it’s just as important to share things about yourself. This makes you a more open person that other people will warm up to.
It will give other people the opportunity to learn more about you, ask you questions, and have a meaningful conversation. You learn more about each other and whether you ‘fit’ as a group.
It’s a good idea to find a balance between asking people about their interests and sharing information about yourself. You don’t want to appear either closed off, too inquisitive or bragging. Reading people’s expressions and listening to what they say will clue you in to the appropriate amount of back and forth needed.
4. Take initiative
While it is uncomfortable and even scary to be the one to approach people, you should give it a try. You can miss many opportunities to make friends and have an active social life if you wait for people to notice you.
Remember that it’s not the worst thing in the world if you have an awkward interaction with other people. Make an effort to introduce yourself to others and to plan social events.
It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or special. A quick meet up over coffee, a movie night, or a game is all that’s needed to know people better. Don’t wait for too long before approaching people to make friends. It’s better to regret trying something and not having it work out than to regret not trying at all.
5. Use body language
People don’t just listen to what one says. They also get cues from body language, tone of voice and expressions.
You can use body language to give people a positive impression. Holding an open posture with your arms and legs uncrossed indicates receptivity and agreement. Keeping your arms folded across your chest gives the impression of being closed off.
Directly facing someone, maintaining eye contact and smiling are friendly things you can do to make other people relaxed. By working on your body language you’ll create an inviting and friendly demeanor that attracts people.
6. Be authentic
You can do a lot to make friends and meet new people. But it’s important not to hide your real self or to try too hard. Ultimately, you want to be liked for who you are. It’s important to be authentic and show people what you really believe and are passionate about.
It gives people a chance to appreciate your own unique viewpoint. Being authentic and open makes it more likely that you’ll find people with similar interests.
Friends are the family you choose
You already have everything you need to make friends and attract new people. Keep a positive attitude and try different things to broaden your social circle. Geographical boundaries don’t have to limit you either. There are many VoIP phone providers today that let you talk to anyone around the world like they were just down the road. n
While making friends is challenging, it’s worth it. Some of life’s best experiences happen with great friends. Try the six ways given above to attract new people and make friends and you’ll soon have a rich social circle.