Making friends as an adult is challenging.
As a woman who doesn't have children, I speak from experience when I say that making friends as a childless adult can be even more challenging. Kids are a natural source of socialization for their parents as they meet other parents at play dates, on sports teams, at dance recitals, and at class-wide birthday parties. Childless adults don't have all of those opportunities to find our people and make new friends.
No matter whether you have kids or not, many adults seem to struggle with fostering new friendships. In fact, multiple articles have been written about it to try and help unlock just what makes it so tricky and how to overcome those challenges. One of my favorite articles is an interview the New York Times did with a psychologist who focuses her work on friendship. Read it here and know that you aren't alone in feeling lonely or frustrated with how tough it cab be to make new friends as an adult.
But, challenging or not, we DO have opportunities to create connection and make friends as adults.
Here are some ways I've found my friend group as an adult:
Join a Club or Volunteer Organization
Joining a club or group based on your interests can be a great way to meet like-minded people. Consider joining a sports team, a book club, or a volunteer organization. I joined Rotary recently and have loved getting to know other members of the community who each care about giving of themselves to make the town and the world a better place.
Attend Social Events
Attending social events such as community events and networking events provides an opportunity to meet new people and be a part of your community. In the spring, I went to a local production of The Sound of Music (it was excellent!). At intermission I started chatting with the woman next to me and we had a lovely conversation about both being newer to the area and some of our favorite places in town. And just like that, a connection was formed!
Take a Class
Taking a class or workshop on a topic that interests you can be a great way to meet people who share your interests. Coworking spaces are a great place to find local workshops that might interest you. At Lake City Coworking we love hosting a wide range of workshops from sharing tips with small business owners to fun social events like learning how to decorate sugar cookies. Check out our upcoming workshops here.
Connect with Coworkers to Foster Friendship
Making an effort to connect with coworkers outside of work can help build friendships and a sense of community. Of course, if you're a solopreneur or remote employee this is hard to do. Enter coworking! Joining a coworking space you'll get to network with and work alongside fellow members who may just be your next new friend. Coworking spaces also focus a lot on building community by hosting member events and facilitating introductions, making it extra easy to meet and mingle. At Lake City Coworking we host monthly member-only events to show our appreciation and to help members connect.
Remember, making new friends takes time and effort, and it's okay to feel awkward or uncomfortable at first. Be patient, be yourself, and keep putting yourself out there, and eventually, you'll find people who you connect with.