Making friends as a kid is extremely easy. Kids like toys, video games, playing sports, etc. When in school, we are around kids that like to do what we like to do in general. However, every so often, we find other kids who like what we like to do specifically.
We then begin to hang out with them more than we do with other kids and then they become our friends.
Why Making new Friends as an Adult seems Difficult
The reason why making friends as an adult is more difficult than when we were kids is because of our environment as adults. Not only do most adults have to deal with their own individual responsibilities, but hobbies, interest and “play time” becomes a lot less of a thing.
Meeting people in the work place is one way. However, finding people with the same interests as you when your “hobby time” itself seems to be fading away is not easy. Now that’s if you work around people.
Imagine if you work a more isolated job like a solo cashier at a grocery store or an Uber driver? How do you make friends then?
Most of us have made friends passively. We just so happened to run into people with similar interests and similar values as we interacted in social settings. As we get older, personal responsibility and self sustainability are a step further away from social settings.
Why its Important to make Friends as an Adult
It’s important to make friends as an adult because chances are, not too many of your childhood friends are still around. This is because as we get older, our interests change and our personal responsibilities grow. This leads a lot of friends to drift away. It’s nothing personal, it’s just the natural evolution of things.
Being isolated and friendless can lead to depression and actually a lack of motivation. Not to say that the only reason you want to grow as a person is to impress your friends, but you’ll feel motivated to. You’ll feel inclined to be a better version of yourself just to keep pace with the wonderful relationship that you’ve developed.
How to make Friends as an Adult
If you belong to a social club like a gym, online forum for a specific hobby or follow a show/book/series closely, then you may have the opportunity to run into some future friends.
Joining online forums, book clubs or going out to social events like parades, etc can be helpful. No one wants to go to social events alone so feel free to invite family members or someone else close so you don’t feel awkward in these social events. Whatever you do, don’t force it because you’ll likely have the opposite effect and drive people away. As long as you put yourself out there, the chances of running into like-minded people who are very interested in the same stuff you are increase dramatically.
Oh, and don’t be so sensitive or self conscious!
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