5 Places to Make Friends as an Adult

When did everything get so hard?

Somewhere along the way, we grew up. Life started getting bogged down with responsibility and plans for the future. And we start laying aside our childhood. We unintentionally put aside our innate ability to make friends easily. But places to make new friends as an adult still abound.

Friendships require some care. 

Nurture the relationships that you have. If you have whittled down to just a friend or two, making new friends may feel daunting.  But even one new friend, as an adult is a goldmine.

Don’t believe me? Think back to when a trip to the playground ended in a ‘new best friend’ 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? Of course, reaching out can feel awkward and fill you with anxiety as this is not routine for you but press on.

Oh, anxiety?

The problem with that anxiety is, adult friendships are crucial, not just to our mental well-being, but to our physical health as well. It’s been proven that having friends helps to reduce stress and there is also less chance of heart disease. You also may end up with a longer life.  We talk more on this subject in this post. Overcoming loss of community.  

“For many of us, friends serve as a de facto family, especially if relatives live far away. Our friends are the ones who support us through crises, celebrate our victories with us and are usually the most up to date on our day-to-day lives”. Ronnie Koenig says on NBC NEWS Better/Today pub.

But where do we find these friends?

• Try an APP.
  Hey!VINA, BummleBFF and Tinder work much like a dating app, but with one very significant difference. Here the goal is to find someone with like interests you may want to befriend. A quick swipe of your finger starts a conversation, leading to a connection and hopefully, friendship.

 

• Try a Meetup.
  Looking for some fun group activities in your area? Meetup.com is easy to use on your computer, tablet, or phone. Here you search for events of interest to you.  The results of the search is a variety of groups who like to engage in those activities.

• Give yourself a chance to meet several interesting people at once.

• There are so many hobbies are out there that you may have not even thought of. Look at rock hunting, yes, this is a hobby and you can find plenty of people that want to talk about it. And, it is also family friendly.

 

• Learn Something New.
  Signing up for a class allows you to indulge in a new interest at the same time as meeting someone new. Have you always want to take cooking lessons? Learn gardening? Flying lessons? Whatever interests you, this is a surefire way to meet new people.

 

• Grab a Book.
  Your local library or independent bookstore is a great place to indulge in a love of reading while at the same time, getting to know someone new. Book clubs stimulate you intellectually and introduce you to people in the community who share a love for the written word. Volunteering to read to children at the library will give you an opportunity to strengthen your sense of community as well.

 

• Take a Walk with a Furry Friend.
  If you have a dog, why not explore more than your own backyard? By taking your furbaby 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 socialization. This is a win, win all around!

Places to find friends as an adult doesn’t have to be complicated.

Opportunities truly are everywhere. So be bold and try something new. You’ll be glad you did!

I have a 4 page printable set of TO DO, and Planner Sheets for you to enjoy. Click the pix to be taken to the download.