How to make friends . . . this aspect of the life can be fulfilled easily by finding places to make new friends, making the first move and maintaining friendships. You can easily make friends by stepping outside of the comfort zone with a little effort and willingness.
Start looking for places to socialize, like a local club or volunteer organization and get yourself out there. As you start meeting new people, you may take initiative to make some time to get to know the people around you and hang out together.
- Finding Places to Make New Friends
- Making the First Move
- Maintaining Friendships
Finding Places to Make New Friends
- First thing first, make yourself available to others. If you wish to become friendly, you must put yourself in a mood to somehow meet people. If you just remain alone, people might come to you, but the chances are very low. It doesn’t mean to go to a crowded table, but somehow choose one with at least 2.
- Remember, nobody will come knocking your door as you sit alone at home busy with your laptop.
- If you get the opportunity to get out together and meet people, take it. Going to a social function or inviting somebody to your place to a party, go for it!
- Join an club or social group to meet new people which is a great way to find people with common interests. You may even develop a new hobby to have something in common. For a specific topic or taste, you may search for a location who share the interest.
- You may join a science club, a painting society, musical marching band, a knitting group, or any shared-interest club.
- If you love playing musical instruments or sing, join a local band or church choir to get something worth challenging and new!
- You may go to a religious place like, a church, Mosque, temple, or other house of worship to start meeting people who share a common religious faith.
- Be a volunteer for a cause that is very close to your heart. It might not be a big concern for the society but who will definitely meet a few who care about the cause as you do. Volunteering helps in a good way for people of all ages to meet and work together. This helps in building bonds with people. You meet those who have a passion for it similar to you.
- You may check out some online search and search for charitable organizations in the area to find volunteering opportunities near you.
- If you try connecting, there are much larger chances that you come to know a few people who could potentially become good friends, they may be your co-workers, classmates, or even people in social media network.
- As a parent you can set up a play-date for the kids to get a good opportunity to know new adult friends.
Making the First Move
- Looking for opportunities to talk to people. You may start small talks with people around you by making the first move. Just say like, just open a conversation by saying “Isn’t it a gorgeous weekend?” or “That is an awesome choice of colours!” and see the effect of your move and where it goes from there!
- It can be anybody: the shop keeper, the clerk at the store, the person next to you on public transport, or the person in front of you in a long queue outside a showroom waiting to be opened. Don’t be too picky.
- Good manners always attract people and goes a long way. You may start talking by simply greeting them with a “Good morning, how are you?” as pass a plate of cookies in a party. Showing good manners by greeting people makes you look friendly and people respond well to it. It’s a great ice breaker.
- Do try to make eye contact and smile while presenting a friendly and inviting appearance. It is more receptive towards a friendly relationship. Look people directly in the eye while speaking and offer them a warm, friendly smile.
- Try to avoid squint, look bored, frown, or look deadpan with closed-off body language. Don’t fold your arms or hang out alone in a corner.
- Mirroring person’s body language is a great way to make a rapport with them. While talking, do try to subtly imitate the expressions and gestures. For example, if they smile or lean forward while talking to you, do the same.
- Try a variety of conversation starters. Try making a comment about your immediate environment.
- Make a request for help: “Can you help me carry a few boxes, if you have a minute?” “Hey, do you need a hand cleaning up?”
- Give a compliment, like , “That’s a nice perfume,” or “I love your necklace.”
- Keep the conversation going with small talk.
- Try to keep it going by asking questions and offering a little information about yourself.
- Show that you are listening actively by nodding, maintaining eye contact, and following up what they say with questions or comments.
- Introduce yourself at the end of the conversation. This can be as simple as “Oh, by the way, my name is . . .”
- Otherwise you may open the conversation by introducing yourself.
- Remember their name to make them feel that you were paying attention and taking a genuine interest in them.
- Invite them to join you for coffee sometime and give them your email address or phone number.
- Rather than one-on-one get together, consider going to a group event with you, like a movie or theatre night.
- Pursue common interests. Take the opportunity to give them your number or email address and invite them to join your club or social group or cause.
Maintaining Friendships
- Be loyal to your friends.
- Prepare to make sacrifices of your time and energy in order to help out your friends.
- Just be nice.
- It’s important to set healthy boundaries and say “No” sometimes if you need to for the sake of your own wellbeing.
- Check in with yourself occasionally for being the kind of friend you’d wish to have.
- Be reliable.
- Be someone who they can count on.
- Appreciate reliability and be reliable in return.
- Call them as soon as you realize your mistake and apologize for it.
- Be a good listener. Listen carefully to what people say.
- Avoid interrupting, and try not to offer advice unless your friend asks for it.
- Be trustworthy and be a person who can be taken as granted to whom you can talk about anything, even secrets.
- Don’t talk about your friend behind their back or let them down when they’re depending on you.
- Emphasize your good qualities and be good with unique qualities about yourself.
- Keep in touch with your friends.
- Choose your friends wisely.
- Cherish those friends who make a positive influence in your life, and do your best to be a positive influence in theirs.