If making new friends as an adult feels like a daunting task, you’re not alone. It’s not always as easy to put yourself out there as it used to be when we were kids.
Even if you’ve moved to a new place by yourself and you know no one, it’s definitely not impossible. No matter your situation, there are more potential friends around you than you may think! Here’s our advice to help you meet new people and turn them into fast friends:
New Friendships with Old Friends
Before you begin your journey making new friends as an adult, consider trying to reconnect with old friends you’ve lost touch with.
You’re already familiar with each other, and know you get along well. And it can be less stressful than trying to establish a connection with a brand new person. If anyone immediately comes to mind, reach out and say, “Hey I miss you, what have you been up to lately?”
Real Friends, Found Virtually
Take to social media! It’s an easy initial step, and it doesn’t require a lot of upfront vulnerability if you’re still feeling nervous about putting yourself out there in person.
Here’s how to get started: visit a place where you feel comfortable being alone; a local coffee shop, library, city park, etc. and upload a picture there. Post it with a caption along the lines of “Favorite spot in the city!” or “New to _ and this is already one of my favorite spots! Can’t wait to keep exploring.”
Don’t forget the cherry on top- hashtags! Include hashtags for anything that’s related to that establishment/area, the city you’re in, your interests, and to living in a new place or looking for new pals. Spend time scrolling and do a little research! And make sure you spend time looking through tags after you use them. What could be an easier way to find people with the same interests, in the same situation and connect with them?!
It’s also super quick and easy to use apps like BumbleBFF. If you’re not familiar, it’s an offshoot of the dating app, Bumble, but for friends! How awesome, right?
If you’re skeptical, let me tell you the best story ever. Our Customer Happiness Manager here a Greetabl, Paige, downloaded BumbleBFF after many of her friends moved away, and she had a great experience with it! As a result, she is now part of an amazing community of around 10+ women who have met through the app. They are all in a Facebook group together and often get brunch.
^ I SWEAR that story is 100% true (and I almost cried from female friendship feels/inspo when I first heard it). So. Freaking. Cool.
Use Your Surroundings
One of the reasons we make friends so easily in our youth is because of proximity. When you’re in school together for 8 hours a day, it doesn’t take long to tell who you click with. So let’s follow that logic. A convenient place for making new friends as an adult, where most of us now spend 8 hours a day? Work!
There’s likely at least one person in your organization who you feel you could get along with outside of work. Ask that person (or people) if they want to accompany you on a morning coffee run, lunch or plan a happy hour. Get comfortable bonding with the people in close proximity with you, and work your way out from there!
If you work from home, don’t work, or prefer not to fraternize with your coworkers, look to the other places where you spend the most time. At home, at the gym, at church, at the local farmer’s market you frequent every weekend, etc. You immediately have something in common with people you see often, and in those instances strangers can easily become friends!
ProTip: A cute way to make friends with your neighbors? Send them a Greetabl! You already know their address by default, so it’s pretty perfect. Send a candle and a sweet note along the lines of “Hello from your friendly neighbor at (insert your house or apartment number)! I’m new to the neighborhood and would love to get to know you! Hope this candle brightens your home 🙂”
Seek Out Similar Interests
With proximity in mind, try to spend as much free time as possible in spaces where you’re likely to meet people with similar interests. These are the folks most likely to transform into friends! When making new friends as an adult, it’s still good to start with places where you are already comfortable and feeling like yourself:
- Take an art or cooking class
- Join a gym and take group classes
- Get involved with local volunteering or local politics
- Frequent a dog park or cat cafe
- Check out the latest museum exhibit
- Join a book club
- FYI: The Feminist Literary Society has chapters in New York, LA, Chicago, St. Louis, DC, Portland and more
If none of the above interest you, do some research. It’s highly likely that there’s a club or society nearby filled with people who share your interests!
Embrace Alone Time and Welcome Shared Experiences
The last important tip is to become friends with yourself and get comfortable with being alone. As we all know, the attempt of making new friends as an adult can be draining. It can also take a while. While you’re on this journey, appreciate yourself and everything you bring to the table.
If you have been through this and have other helpful tips help the rest of us out! Comment and share your advice with people who are already on this platform and clearly share a common interest with you (see where I’m going with this? 😏).
After all, we’ll all be much smarter if we learn from each other, and we might just become friends in the process.