Make Friends As An Adult By Reconnecting With Acquaintances

Photo by Kleinefotografie.

Making new friends as an adult is hard. However, you might have more options than you think. If you know some people you haven’t talked to in a while, call them up again to make new friends.

As advice site Barking Up the Wrong Tree explains, by the time you reach adulthood, you’ve probably encountered a long list of people that you liked but didn’t have time to build a friendship with. Maybe you were too busy with your career or a new relationship, but for whatever reason they fell by the wayside. If you find yourself looking for new friends, these people can be a great place to start. Especially if you’ve connected with them on a site like Facebook:

Doing this is easy, it’s not scary, they’re people you already have history with, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or work to get to know them. Go to Facebook or LinkedIn for ideas and then send some texts. Boom. You already have more friends.

If you’re going to be strategic, who should your prioritise? You probably met a disproportionate number of your friends through just a handful of people. Those are your “superconnectors.” Rekindle those relationships. And then ask them if there’s anyone you should meet. Next time you get together, see if that new person can come along. Not. Hard. At. All.

Of course, if there are some people you drifted apart from because you didn’t get along, it’s ok not to return. However, you probably know at least a few people where your friendship simply never got off the ground because you didn’t have enough time. Try striking up conversation with those people to get started.

As the site also explains, those people you reconnect with might also know new people you don’t know. This is another excellent way to branch out and meet new people. While you can always try joining a club or going to events to build a social circle from scratch, it’s often easier to start by exploring the connections you already have. Even if you think it might be awkward at first.

This Is How To Make Friends As An Adult: 5 Secrets Backed By Research [Barking Up the Wrong Tree]