Making New Friends as an Adult (And Why it Matters)

By age 25 many adult relationships begin dwindling. While making friends as an adult can be more challenging, the effort you make is worthwhile. 

Let's take five minutes to see this week in a new light. By Wendy Rose Gould & Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Top of Mind Making New Friends as an Adult (And Why it Matters)   Making friends as a child, teenager, or even young adult is easy enough. You're surrounded by many peers at school, have a world of extracurricular activities to participate in, and don't have quite as many real-world obligations to distract you from making and maintaining friendships. In fact, by age 25 many adult relationships begin dwindling. While making friends as an adult can be more challenging, the effort you make is worthwhile.    Friends are so important for our identity, our sense of who we are. To be a complete person you need a community to draw out all sides of your identity." — MARISA FRANCO, PHD    The Benefits of Friendship Having someone to hang out with is great, but it isn't the only benefit of friendships. Research has shown that high-quality bonds can: Increase our levels of happiness Lower levels of stress and depression Bolster our immune systems Improve our physical health Help us live longer Improve our sense of self and confidence levels How to Make New Friends The key to making new friends as an adult is meeting new people. Accept invitations, attend local events (online or in-person), volunteer with organizations, join a gym or sports team, and check out local meetups or clubs. People who participate in the above are likely just as hopeful about making friends as you are.   Once you're in a new social setting, challenge yourself to be open and talk with others. A simple question like, "what part of town are you from," or "what brings you here" is enough to break the ice. To maintain relationships, connect with your new acquaintances via social media or swap numbers, then reach out afterward if it feels natural to do so.   Repeat hangouts with the same crew—like you'd experience by joining a club or sports team—will help you foster relationships, as well.   On the Bright Side Ways to Stay Positive This Week Ways to Nurture Your Mind and Body  This week, take 15 minutes to research a local group, club, or team that appeals to you. Alternatively, scout out some upcoming local events. Commit to attending an even or two in the upcoming weeks and challenge yourself to talk with another person while you're there. Meetup.com makes connecting with others super easy. Simply enter your zip code and the website will populate nearby events, groups, and get-togethers. You can search by category or day, and there's plenty to choose from. Because everyone else is there to meet new people, as well, it's easier to make new friends! Fostering existing friendships is just as important as meeting new people. Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness, written by award-winning speaker Shasta Nelson, helps you develop the skill set to form stronger, more meaningful friendships.   This Week on The Verywell Mind Podcast   On Friday's special edition of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I talked to GRAMMY Award-winning singer JoJo.    Tune in to hear how she learned to become mentally strong, why she is so open about her mental health, and how therapy and antidepressants have helped her along the way.   Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Read These Next Why You May Be Struggling to Make Friends READ NOW How to Create Social Support in Your Life READ NOW 9 Ways to Be a Superior Listener and Better Friend READ NOW Spread the Light Share the newsletter with someone you know to make their day a little brighter. SHARE We're open to suggestions! If you have any feedback about this newsletter, let us know at feedback@verywell.com.     You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Healthy Mind newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe here!   A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2021 Verywellmind.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy