6 Ways to Make New Friends as an Adult

While it may have been easy to make friends as a child, diving into new friendships as an adult is a different story. The pace of life in adulthood and the lack of opportunities to be social can inhibit your ability to make new friends. Here are six ways that you can meet new people and potentially develop lifelong friendships.

Just Say Yes

Sometimes the hardest step is the first step. Although it may be difficult to take the first step in creating new friendships, you cannot expect these relationships to fall into your lap.

This means that you need to say yes to invitations to connect. Even if it is not an activity that you would choose, you never know what you may end up enjoying. Accepting invitations for social events will open up the opportunity to meet others. Once you say yes, put it on your calendar and do your best to make it happen.

Play a Sport

Do you enjoy physical activity or working out? Joining a sports club or league is a great way to meet people with similar interests. One of the best things about this idea is that it is common for teams to decide to hang out after the competition, increasing the odds that you are able to connect on deeper levels with your teammates.

If you cannot find any organized leagues in your area that fit your specifics, you can start your own team. This may be easier than you think. For example, in today's digital world, it is easy to find flag football uniforms online for your whole team.

Volunteer

Volunteering your time to an organization or cause that you feel passionate about is an excellent way to meet people who share the same core values as you. As a bonus, you will also feel good about yourself and your contributions to your community when you volunteer.

If you are unsure where to go for volunteer opportunities, be sure to check out your local chamber of commerce for ideas. Places of worship are also good organizations to help you to get plugged into volunteer activities.

Turn to Social Media

Social media often provides a wealth of resources to help you to make friends as an adult. Start by joining your neighborhood or local community groups. These specific groups often list opportunities for residents to connect with one another.

You can also use your personal social media account to organize get-togethers. Simply put it out there that you want to organize an event. You may be surprised at how many people are in the same boat as you looking to lean into new connections.

Reach Out to Co-workers

The people that you see every day at work make natural companions. If your job does not provide ample opportunities to get to know people outside of a corporate setting, take it upon yourself to organize social activities for the group.

Maybe this is happy hour when work wraps up for the week? Or perhaps you want to organize a weekly lunch out with your colleagues? The goal is to get people together outside of work in an effort to cultivate friendships.

Plug Into a Church

If you are not active in a place of worship, you may be missing out on forming new friendships. Churches, synagogues, and other places of worship are all ideal places to meet people and connect.

These places go out of their way to provide ways for members to get involved. Whether it be a Bible study group, a weekly dinner, or a social club, places of worship are ripe with opportunities to meet others.

These six avenues are all great ways to connect with like-minded people, increasing the chances that meaningful friendships develop.