Trouble Making Friends

So, you moved to a new area a month or so ago, you've been busy with your new job ever since; but you have crawled to yet another Friday evening to find yourself alone on the sofa.

The people at work are okay but you wouldn't exactly call them friends, and they're not really tempting you to leave prime position in front of the box.

It's common!

Having trouble making new friends is more common than you would believe. Thinking back to the last 'real friend' you made is probably a longer trip down memory lane than you would like to admit, and more often than not, such a friend is made during school or university.

Making new friends and finding yourself a new social group can be problematic for a variety of reasons.  Difficulty in social situations is more often than not a state of mind... the tip is to relax.

Excuses

The most frequently used excuse for not socialising is lack of time. Making new friends and meeting new people in this day and age is not an easy feat. Working Monday to  Friday is usually hectic enough, that the thought of having to go out and actively find new friends on the weekend sounds like far too much effort.

There are numerous things you can do if you're having trouble making friends, the key is to take the time and make the effort:

How to make more friends

Voluntary work. Whether you're into the selfless act of helping others or you simply want to meet people; volunteering is a great way to make friends. Sharing a passion or similar vocation usually makes the social barrier a little easier to break through.

Sports. Participating in sports is a great way to meet like minded people. Just think, you are automatically in a situation where you can converse: “what sort of training do you do?”; “how was the match last week?”; “which football clubs have you played with in the past?”. Use this to your advantage.

Join a club! It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you enjoy it, you're bound to find others there you can meet and make friends with. Sharing a common interest is always a good ice-breaker; even if your knowledge of the group is minimal, you can still go along, ask questions, get involved and make friends.

Capitalise! Nearly everyone has the net these days and most supermarkets, local papers and community noticeboards advertise some sort of social opportunity. Don't like what you see? Make up your own club or event.

So if you're sick and tired of spending your time completing menial tasks for work or nodding off to the occasional soap's omnibus... get involved! The difficulty in making new friends is doing something about it.