10 Ways to Meet New Friends
Are you yearning to meet new friends, people who light up your life, but find it hard? You’re not alone. It’s far more common than you think. In my blog How to Make Friends as an Adult, I shared 7 simple steps to build meaningful connections. In this blog post, I share 10 practical ways to connect with potential friends who share your interests and values. These insights are from my Nourishing Friendships book, where I dive deeper into the art of building lasting friendships.
Ready to expand your social circle with people who truly get you? Let’s explore ways you can meet new friends:
1. Attend local clubs, classes, courses, and events
If you want more local friends to talk to or go out with, local activities where you can meet like-minded people are a good starting point. Prioritise the activities you’re most excited about. To find local groups, do an online search, and check out notice boards in local shops, your library or health centre, or local Facebook groups.
2. Join national or international clubs, classes, and events
These can be good where the activity is more important to you than the desire to meet people locally. I love travelling and have found going to travel shows is a great way to meet like-minded people and hear about clubs/communities I can join. I’ve met lots of my current friends at personal development and business events around the world
3. Volunteer for causes or projects to meet people with similar values
Volunteering can be an empowering way to feel you’re making a difference, add meaning to your life, and meet new people with shared interests or values. You can volunteer regularly or on a one-off basis, depending on your needs, desires, and availability. If you’re looking for local friends, explore opportunities to volunteer in your immediate community. Likewise, if you want to take a stand for something important to you, you could get involved in campaigns, fundraising events, or demonstrations.
There are also opportunities to volunteer around the country (e.g. at festivals and sporting events) and overseas. If you have white privilege (you look white), be mindful of how to avoid being a white saviour when volunteering overseas. See a blog I’ve written on What’s Wrong with Volunteering Overseas.
4. Seek out Meet-Up groups to meet people with similar interests
Meetup.com is an online portal set up to encourage people with similar interests to meet in person. There are meet-up groups around the world for almost every interest you can think of. If I were to move somewhere new, checking out Meetup.com would be one of the first things I would do to meet like-minded people locally.
5. Participate in online groups, apps, and communities
There are many online communities you could join, too, e.g. on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other online platforms. There are also communities and apps set up specifically to help you make friends. Do an online search to find the one(s) most suited to you.
6. Join a support group
If you’re struggling with anything in your life, there are likely to be support groups that can help and will introduce you to others in a similar position – either online or in person. I know that twenty years ago I would have welcomed a support group to help me come to terms with becoming involuntarily childless. It would also have been good to have had more childless friends to talk to and go out with.
7. Set up a club or community group to meet like-minded people
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, consider setting up a club or group yourself. When you do this, you’re not only likely to meet new people, by bringing others together, but you’ll also bring joy to others. Setting up a group of like-minded people can also help you feel a greater sense of belonging – assuming you bring together the right people.
In 1994 I set up Scotland’s first independent travel club. I’d been away for three years, and when I came back to Edinburgh, I didn’t know anyone else who enjoyed my new passion. By putting an advert in a local paper, I made lots of new like-minded friends, some of whom are still in my life over thirty years later. I feel it’s a lot easier to do this now with social media platforms and groups. Likewise, running a business networking group was one of the best ways I’ve made wonderful long-term friendships.
8. Chat with people you meet during the course of a day
How often do you keep your head down or walk past people without engaging with them? When you’re out and about and meeting people, there are plenty of opportunities to speak to them. Particularly where you meet people with a similar interest, e.g. while standing waiting to get into the class or queueing for a drink at an event.
A few years ago, I noticed some of my friends were much better at connecting with people in passing than me. They’d confidently speak to people at events, at a yoga class, or in the street. I remember thinking I’d love to be more like them. So, I decided to consciously step outside my comfort zone. I started putting my mobile away, looking up, and saying hello more. Sometimes, if it felt right, I’d ask a question to strike up a conversation. I now find it easier to connect and speak to people I’d like to get to know better. This, in turn, makes it easier to invite them for a cuppa and see where the relationship goes.
9. Organise events
Organising your own event and inviting people along is a great way to make new friends. This could be an informal event where people meet in a cafe, or a more formal paid event. If you want to meet new people, you share the event via a post in a ‘safe’ closed group on social media, reach out to people you know who may be interested, and ask people to share and bring other friends along.
‘Even as an extrovert, I found it hard to make friends when I moved from a city I lived in for years, with a good support network, to a new more remote area. I really needed someone to invite me in and introduce me to their friends. Feeling socially isolated affected my confidence and being peri-menopausal didn’t help. I needed friends more than ever but felt less able to reach out or make the effort to do new things. Now eight months in, I’m just starting to build relationships but it’s taken much longer than I’d hoped. I’ve met two new local friends through a Facebook group for women over fifty, in which you can say where you are and who you want to meet. They were as pleased to meet me as I was to meet them. It’s made all the difference.’ Marie Louise
10. Ask for introductions
Once you know what type of friends you want, share this with people you know and ask them to introduce you to people they know, who they think you’d get on with. I recently saw someone post in a local Facebook group that she was new to the area and wanted to meet people. She shared a little about herself and asked if anyone would be interested in meeting up. By having the courage to share how she felt, she was inundated with people who offered to meet up with her.
A close friend introduced me to someone she knew a few years ago. We instantly clicked, and that person is now one of my best friends. I’m so grateful to the friend who knew us both for introducing us to each other. She is not the only one of my friends who has done this. Many of my friends have been introduced to me by other friends. One special friend went out of her way to introduce me to many like-minded people when I moved into the area, even though I didn’t know her that well then. This made a huge difference.
Key messages
- Taking action is essential whether it’s joining local groups, attending events, or volunteering, making new friends requires stepping out of your comfort zone and actively participating in activities that align with your interests.
- There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to making friends – from in-person meetups to online communities, local clubs to international events, you have multiple pathways to connect with like-minded people who share your values and interests.
- Don’t be afraid to take the initiative – whether it’s starting a conversation, organizing an event, or creating your own community group, some of the most meaningful friendships can begin when you take the first step to connect.
What’s next?
Hopefully, reading this blog has given you ideas for how to meet new friends.
For further tips and resources check out my book, Nourishing Friendships: How to Make Friends You Love in Midlife and Beyond <HERE>.
Want one-to-one coaching to help you work out your next best steps?
I help people feel better, find their purpose, and embrace their next chapter with more clarity, confidence and joy—so they can find it easier to enjoy a happy, meaningful life for years to come. Find out more <HERE> or book a FREE 20-minute discovery call <HERE>.
You deserve to be happy and enjoy the life you yearn for, in the company of great friends.
What’s the first thing you will do next to make that happen?
With love and gratitude,
Therapist, Friendship Coach, and Life Coach for Midlife Women
Enabling you to enjoy a life of purpose, adventure, and fun in your midlife years and beyond.
P.S. Have you checked out my books <HERE> yet?
Often described as one of the most authentic and inspiring souls you can meet, Alisoun is on a mission to make it easier for women in their midlife years and beyond to live their truth, do something that matters, and make the most of life.
Alisoun’s keynote talks, training, mentoring, and best-selling books, Nourishing Friendships, Heartatude: The 9 Principles of Heart-Centered Success and Give-to-Profit have favourably changed the good fortune of thousands of people worldwide. Alisoun loves spending time with friends, exploring the world, and living by the beach in Scotland.
