Feeling shy, not being good at making conversation, feeling insecure and anxious around others, social awkwardness, all these problems block tons of people from making new friends. Every person feels uncomfortable in some social situations. It’s completely human to do so. Social issues, by their very nature, are isolating. They’re also easy to hide as you never need to expose the full extent of your difficulties to others. So one might never know who else shares the same fears and continue to feel alone. Making friends is a task that only gets more difficult with age, but it’s not impossible. A few ways to augment your social circle are;
- Understand Your Fear – The first step should be to develop a healthy mental image of meeting new people. We often see it as a scary event, and the more we think about it, the scarier it seems. This initial fear creates a mental barrier stopping us from making new friends. Try to overcome this fear and realize that others are also under the effect of this fear
- Be Yourself – This is one of the most common and most suggested methods of making friends. When you pursue hobbies and activities that you enjoy, then you meet people with similar interests. These similarities provide a solid groundwork to build a lasting friendship on. So, join a book club or go dancing and you’ll meet like minded people for sure!
- Set A Goal – This may seem superficial, but the next time you go to a party, tell yourself that you want to leave having made a new friends or maybe even more! This way, you’ll be more open to making conversation with others instead of just smiling and nodding at people
- Smile – This one seems a bit too on the nose, doesn’t it? But it’s a proven fact that people who smile are deemed to be friendly and is considered to be a powerful tactic in making connections
- Think Outside The Box – It’s absolutely plausible that up till now, all your friends have belonged to a particular part of your life like college or work. Break out of this mold and be open to forming new friendships with people who may be your neighbors, or anyone you may come across regularly. Don’t limit yourself
- Track Down Old Friends – In this day and age it’s not difficult to make contact with people you used to know. Take advantage of this and reach out to old friends you may have fallen out of contact with. Lots of people think about reaching to old acquaintances but never do so. Be the one to take the first step and initiate contact. Your friend/colleague will thank you later
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Making new friends means putting yourself out there and that can be scary but it’s also a brave thing to do. It’s especially intimidating if you’re someone with trust issues, but it’s possible to learn to trust others. Remember that making a friend is just the beginning of the journey into friendship. A friendship takes time to form and even more to deepen. It’s strength and agility depends on you and the efforts you make to nurture it. So once you form a new friend, be the friend that you’d like to have!