Most common questions used to investigate
Do you consider yourself a social person?
Do you make time for your close relationships?
Have you met your friends’ friends?
Do you go to cultural events?
Are you planning a trip soon?
Do you invest time in your hobbies?
Do you work at an office?
Do you usually eat lunch by yourself?
Do you exercise regularly?
Common conclusions
Some people are more solitary than others and that’s okay, just don’t take it to the extreme. You can’t go through life by yourself, you have to build a support system and have at least a few close friends. Start saying yes to invitations. Show up at social events that you get invited to, even if you don’t know anyone. If you’re invited you probably know at least one person, and that’s enough. Practicing your social skills on strangers can actually be easier, because even if you get rejected, you don't have to see them again. Have a drink and practice your small talk. Asking about how do they know your mutual friend can be a good start.
Even if you meet new people, you still have to invest in them in order to form a close relationship. Just as you want them to be there for you, your friends need you to be available to interact, meet, share thoughts, emotions and experiences with each other. It's important that you make time to invest in your friends in order to develop meaningful relationships.
Go out with some of your “old” friends and ask them to invite some of their friends. Interacting with someone you don’t know can be embarrassing at start. Having a mutual friend can make it easier to get to know each other.
Festivals, art exhibitions, concerts, public lectures, meetups are all great places to meet new people. Pick something you’re interested in, like a certain band, and go to concerts and fan events where you can meet people that you share a passion with. You can even interact with people online through relevant social media groups and pages and find partners to go to these events with.
You can sign up to a workshop of your interest. It can be pottery, mindfulness, a yoga retreat, gardening, gluten-free baking – any type of group activity that you go out for. When you’re on vacation away from home there are unique experiences to explore, plus everyone are more open to new interactions when on vacation mode, so it’s a great setting to meet new friends.
In order to meet new people you need to free some time and make yourself available. Sign up to a workshop of your interest. It can be pottery, mindfulness, a yoga retreat, gardening, gluten-free baking – any type of group activity that you go out for.
Try to have lunch with at least one more person. Find people who eat at around the same time as you do and ask them if they want to have lunch together. If you’re more shy, at first you can ask someone who also sits by themselves if you could join them, or invite a coworker that you don’t really care much about, just to practice your social skills at work.
Exercising in a group is an excellent way to meet new people that you share a passion with. Join a running club, take a dancing/yoga/Pilates class. Exercising together creates a sense of mutual commitment. Through seeing each other every week and pushing together towards a fitness goal you can bond easily with other people. Try to make small talks before and after class, join on group events and birthday celebrations.
Besides the fact that exercising is good for your health, it's a good way to meet new people. Choose a sport or a fitness goal and start exercising at least twice a week. Join a running club, a Zumba or yoga class, take surf lessons, or any other activity you’d like that is being practiced with at least one more person. Exercising together creates a sense of commitment. Through seeing each other every week and pushing together towards a mutual goal you can bond easily with other people. Try to make small talks before and after class, join on group events and birthday celebrations.
References
Related Problems
