Do you love books? Join a book club. Are you an avid sports fan? Try joining a local football or softball league. [3] X Expert Source Kevin WangSocial Events Specialist Expert Interview. 15 July 2022. You can go to a local community center and see what types of clubs they offer. You can also look for clubs online through sites like MeetUp. Check out alumni events for your high school, college, sorority, fraternity, etc.

Try to be more social. If someone starts talking to you, talk back. Obviously, if you feel uncomfortable with someone, disengage, but try to give new interactions a chance. If you meet someone interesting at, say, a coffee shop, try exchanging numbers or social media profiles. You can get together with this person later for a drink or coffee. Consider trying to talk to one new person every time you go out. This small goal can help build comfort with meeting new people as you practice over time. Try, too, attending events with a social component — such as lectures or town hall meetings with group/public participation. This can increase your chances of finding someone you have interests in common with.

If a co-worker invites you to a party, go. Even if you feel lukewarm about this co-worker, you never know what could happen. There could be someone fun and interesting at the party who you become friends with. Try saying “yes” to Facebook invitations. You may not know the friend of a friend who invited you to their birthday party, but you may meet people there. This is also an opportunity to get to know an existing acquaintance more.

If you and a sibling or cousin live in the same town, try making plans more often. The two of you may find you get along great as friends in adulthood. Many people form strong bonds of friendship with family members. As you get older, you may find a sibling or a cousin becomes a best friend.

Don’t be shy about going out alone. Many people enjoy having a drink or a cup of coffee on their own once in awhile. Bring a book or a laptop if that makes you feel more comfortable, just be mindful to make conversation with people and appear approachable.

Don’t feel like your friendship is unwanted if you have to initiate the first hang out. The other person may be shy or busy. Send a text or make a phone call asking the person to hang out. It can be something simple. For example, “Hey! We met at Julia’s party last week. Do you want to get together for drinks this Friday like we talked about?”

Wait a week and text something like, “Hey! Too bad it didn’t work out Friday. When are you free? I would love to get together. " Don’t get discouraged if it takes a while to form a solid plan. Many people are genuinely busy. The two of you may end up having conflicting schedules for a bit before you can start forming a friendship.

Experience things you both enjoy. If you met in a cooking class, for example, try cooking a meal together. If you met on a sports team, go for a hike. While sharing experiences, strive to meet new friends together. The two of you can be open to chatting up strangers in a bar or joining a few mutual friends for a dinner party.

Try to say “Yes” as often as you can. If a friend invites you to coffee, go even if you have to tweak your schedule. If you want to make and find new friends, sometimes you have to make time for this. Make sure and thank the person who invited you after the event. This will reinforce to them that you like being included.

If you meet someone you click with in a big group, reach out to them. Invite them out to dinner or for a drink. The two of you can spend some time chatting and getting to know one another more in depth. Keeping the first one-on-one encounter brief can help keep the potential friend interested and feeling positive about the future of the friendship.

Laugh at yourself! Find something you did that day or something about yourself that you can poke fun at — this is generally endearing to people. However, make sure not to share sensitive information with someone until you’re sure you can trust them.

If you met your friend at a club or meeting, chat that friend up each time you get a chance. Sit next to your new friend in meetings so you can talk before and after meetings. Text when you can. It’s easy to have strong, interesting conversations via text.

New experiences help foster strong friendships. If there’s something the two of you have always wanted to do, try it together. For example, take a trip to a mountain range you’ve always wanted to hike together.