From scheduled playdates in elementary school to shared classes and sports teams in high school, there are plenty of opportunities for people to make friends when they’re young.
However, once you graduate from school and become an “adult,” making new friends is significantly harder. While you probably have at least one or two people you like to talk to when you’re at work, when the only thing you have in common is your career, it can be hard to build meaningful relationships with your colleagues.
Building these connections can be difficult. Long gone are the group projects or the baseball leagues that help you connect and spend time with new people. Instead, you have to take the helm and create your own opportunities to make friends.
We recognize that this is often easier said than done, and even when people take the initiative to try and make new friends, it can still be a challenge.
Here are five tips we have for ways you can make friends outside of work:
1. Get involved in your community
While you might want nothing more than to sleep in or relax at home on Saturdays when you don’t have to work, getting out and getting involved in your community can make it a lot easier for you to make friends as an adult.
Go to the new record shop opening and strike up a conversation with someone who has a similar taste in music. Buy fresh vegetables at the farmer’s market and get to know some of the frequent shoppers or the vendors. Find your new favorite food and new favorite people at a food truck Friday event downtown. Chat with people who work in the community garden or who attend events at your community center or local library.
If your town has a website or a social media page, look at upcoming events and decide to attend a couple each month. You’ll have new friends in no time!
2. Take up a hobby
One of the best ways to connect with new people is to get involved with a hobby. Whether this is collecting antiques, knitting, woodworking, playing guitar, or some other activity, chances are there are meetups, conventions, online groups, or workshops that you can attend surrounding this hobby. When you attend these events, you will meet other people who are just as enthusiastic about the hobby as you are, which will help you make new friends that you can connect with on a regular basis.
Even if you are trying something new for the first time, you can still make new friends. People are passionate about their hobbies, so they tend to get excited when someone wants to try out their hobby for the first time.
What are you passionate about? Are there any activities you’ve always wanted to try? Diving headfirst into a new hobby is a surefire way to make a new friend or two.
3. Join a sports league
Just because you are no longer in school does not mean that you can’t still be a part of a team. Chances are your area has a rec league or two that you can join. Whether you like soccer, kickball, softball, corn hole, or bowling, you will be able to either find an existing league to join or start a new one by posting on social media like in Facebook community groups or on Nextdoor.
When you join a sports league, you will not only improve your physical fitness, but you will also meet new people who will want to grab a drink after practice or celebrate together after a win.
4. Volunteer
Volunteering will help you serve your community while meeting new people at the same time.
Did you love Girl Scouts as a kid? Sign up to be a troop leader and you’ll meet other adult leaders who loved this activity growing up. Were you a great basketball player? Sign up to coach a youth rec team, and you’ll meet parents and other coaches who like basketball. Do you love art? You can help meet new people as you help paint over graffiti or work on a sanctioned community art project.
There are likely plenty of opportunities to volunteer in your community, giving you the chance to give back and to meet other people who care about giving back as well.
5. Go for a walk
While it might seem too easy, simply going for a walk around your neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods can help you meet some great new people.
When you walk regularly, you will start to recognize familiar faces and eventually be able to start a conversation and connect with others that you see routinely. This works even better if you have a dog to walk. You’ll notice that people will come up to ask to pet your dog or to ask questions about your dog’s breed and age.
If you live in a walkable area, try going for a walk every single day. You’ll be surprised by how many people you will meet.