Looking for Friends? 10 Master Strategies Just For You

I still remember sitting in my college dorm room throwing a ball against the wall as I wondered why I decided to enroll into a college that none of my friends from High School attended. Of course it was because that college was offering me a good scholarship program, but it was during that first year of college that taught me how much it can suck when you don’t have any friends.

There is no doubt that there are lots of resources online that tells you how to meet new friends. If you are looking for friends, common strategies people use are going to bars or meeting someone online. FriendPC also offers ways to make friends either by hiring a friend or joining our public chat room.

Other examples would be sport events, bars, clubs, and schools. However, it is also important NOT to look for friends in locations such as your ex’s family or circle of friends. Although it is important to note that making new friends was easier when you were younger, I wanted to clarify there are ways to find your future friend.

Such as how dating apps has helped find people find romance, love and dates, FriendPC made it a goal to fill in the void of genuine friendships and platonic relationships.

1. The Use of Apps

If you are looking to expand your social gathering of potential friends, a good resource to use would be apps that can be super beneficial in the long run. Here are a few examples you can utilize on your time off.

Meetup

A personal favorite of mine. Meetup is a way where you can meet with like minded people, join related social circles and match with groups based on shared interests.

A few example of Meetup groups you can attend and join would be bar hop groups, female programmers, and board game parties. A Meetup group that I would casually attend would be free comedy shows that were hosted every Friday downtown. Overall, Meetup is a great resource to use because it works for all demographics and you can meet a group of people your age.

Interested? Download now

Friender

After filling out an introductory survey that has you select activities you may be interested in, Friender matches you with people and groups of other people interested in them as well. So whether you are looking for a dance partner or someone to go out drinking with, this can be a great choice to choose from.

Interested? Download now

Bumble BFF

With the buzz of Bumble hitting the market for women, it was clear that the founder would also launch a new BFF version as a way for women to meet potential friends. There are a few success stories of best friends finding each other and if you are interested, don’t be afraid to check it out.

Interested? Download now

REALU

The founder created this app to enhance the interactions with real people by connecting you with people nearby who may be interested in doing the same activities as you. Whether you are recently relocated, are traveling for business or pleasure, or just looking to meet some new friends close to home, REALU will help expand your circle of friends.

Interested? Download now

Atleto

Interested in fitness and getting a good workout? Why do it alone when you can use Atleto to engage in team sport exercises, build your social network and join a sports team. This app matches you fitness friends based on their location, skill levels and workout frequency. You can even host an activity on your own and invite people to come join you.

2. How to Find a Good Friend

A problem most people have today is that they are often placing a giant emphasis on romantic relationships rather than building a genuine friendship in the beginning. It’s easy to believe that finding your soulmate would automatically make us happy, but research has shown that friends are even more important for our mental health.

A good friend is someone you can share a deep level of understanding and show genuine interest of what’s going on in your life. They listen to what you have to say and how you think and feel. A good friend listens to you attentively without judgement and will accept you for who you are. Most importantly, a good friend feels comfortable with sharing personal information about themselves with you.

When someone suffers from loneliness, they easily mistake someone giving them attention as a sign of true affection. Which leads them down a dark path of constantly being abused by someone for the sake of affection. But friendship works both way. A friend is someone you feel comfortable supporting and accepting and share a bond of trust and loyalty.

3. Trust Your Feelings

Your intuition is a powerful tool to utilize when engaging with someone. Rather than solely focusing on the way someone treats you, really pay attention to how it makes you feel. It is easy to assume a relationship is good on paper if they are always pampering you, giving you gifts, or taking you places. But friendship goes deeper than the surface.

You want to know if you feel better after spending time with that person. Even if someone treats you to places, it should not be worth it if they are constantly making fun of you or believe they are better than you.

Can you be yourself around that person? We often pretend to be people we are not to be accepted, but that will never feel like a genuine friendship if you have to hold yourself back from expressing your emotions.

Can you trust that person? A good friend is someone who you can trust with your secrets and not try to control, criticize or abuse you. If you deal with someone who brings you unwanted drama or negativity into your life, reconsider your friendship with them.

4. Embrace Your Social Nature

Even if you suffer from shyness, most people feel uncomfortable putting themselves out there to strangers. But a few strategies to remember when going out socially is to pay attention to your environment. Even if you have to turn your phone off, avoid unnecessary distractions and make an effort to listen to other people you’re engaged with.

That way, the more you pay attention to the way they behave, interact with you and what they say, you’ll quickly get to know them. It is commonly known that even putting in a small effort to understand someone can go a long way.

If you want to master your ability to connect with other people, show interest in them. Because when you are interested in someone else’s beliefs, thoughts, experiences and feelings, they’ll see you in a positive light. People make far more friends by showing their interest instead of trying to get people to be interested in them.

5. Befriend a Coworker

Sometimes the best friends we make come from the workplace we sit at all day. Some of my closest friends originated from work. After all, you exchange small talk with them as you go about your day at work.

If you are not comfortable with making friends at work, start by sharing something small about yourself. You don’t have to reveal your most personal secret to your coworkers. Share small bits of information about yourself and see how they reciprocate it.

Once you become comfortable with someone, that is when you can share most bits about yourself or consider inviting them out somewhere you were going to anyway. A close friend of mine would always invite people in the office to go to his favorite bar after work. I did refuse the first dozen offers he made but one night I decided to go and had a great time with him.

6. How to Meet New Friends

Most of us usually make friends from common places such as people we work with, go to school with or live nearby. After all, the more you see someone, the more comfortable you become with them. Which can eventually lead to friendship or more.

So the next time you are out in a location you visit often, start to scan for possible new friends. Notice the people who can match you interest group. The goal would be to share a common interest with someone so if you can take your hobby outside, do it and see if someone approaches you to talk about it.

If you enjoy writing, take your computer to a coffee shop you enjoy and see if you can sit with another regular there. If you like to draw, take your notebook to a local bar and see if someone would be interested to know what you’re crafting.

If you are struggling to determine other potential locations to meet new friends, open yourself up to new experiences such as volunteering, walking your dog, or joining a club.

Once you interact with the same people repeatedly, gain the courage to invite them out for a drink or event. Many people feel just as uncomfortable about reaching out to make new friends just like you. So be the first one to break the ice and invite them. Trust me, they will thank you later. And if they politely refuse, that doesn’t mean they don’t like you, you just need more time to build that trust for them.

7. Never Become Too Busy For Friends

I understand. It can be difficult to make friends when you have a busy schedule where you are constantly working and dealing with adult responsibilities. But building a friendship takes time and effort. So even if you have a packed schedule, always make time for friends.

Whether you have to put reminders on your phone, add it to your calendar or force someone to take you out the house, always make time for your friends or people to spend time with. If you can make it weekly, do it. If not, make it bi-weekly to the very least monthly.

8. Embrace the Possibility of Rejection

Attempting the find new friends can be scary because it is intimidating when you are speaking to someone new. You have the possibility of dealing with a traumatized experiences where someone can reject your entire existence. Perhaps someone you wanted to have in your life rejected the possibilities of it.

But don’t let your fears get in the way of making new friends. Just because someone may not be interested in you doesn’t mean they are rejecting you as a person. Perhaps they are distracted, busy or have other things on their mind.

Being rejected doesn’t mean you’re worthless or no one will like you. Everyone has a bad day and perhaps you met theirs. But keep in mind that you are not going to like everyone you meet either. Such as dating, if you want to build a strong foundation with someone, you’re going to encounter people you don’t click with.

9. Love Yourself

If you want to treat someone with love, you have to learn how to love yourself. Loving yourself can seem difficult in today’s age where most people struggle with self love, but remember the strong qualities that you love about yourself.

Maybe you have a good memory, can draw, or have the ability to make a difference in someone life. Celebrate who you are and be happy we are not all the same because our flaws make us who we are.

You are not perfect and no one else is either. Everyone has flaws and it’s okay. Look at all of the things you have accomplished whenever you question if you have any talents. Even giving good advice to people can be deemed as changing someone’s life forever.

10. Be the Friend You Would Like To Have

As important as it is to find someone who can treat you fairly and trust, you want to exhibit those behaviors yourself. That means being a good listener when your friend is in need, being forgiving whenever your friend makes a mistake and giving your friend space.

Everyone is different and there is no perfect friendship because everyone comes with their own set of baggage. But for a friendship to deepen, you need to constantly build it up and keep it working from both ends.