Content
Although this may feel slightly odd at first, getting in touch with the right people can absolutely be worth it. Whether you’re into dancing, cooking, playing sports, or fomenting revolution — your town is sure to offer a club that’s right for you. Sure, many of us enjoy working in the comfort of our own living rooms — but to make friends, it’s going to help if you put yourself out there. One of my friends made an (unintentional) new bestie on a dog-walking website in the UK. The premise of these is that busy owners list slots to walk their dogs, and dogless dog-lovers sign up to walk them. The thing is that you never know who you might meet and possibly befriend at such garage sales.
Depending on how long you’re staying in a new place, local charities and nonprofits may offer opportunities to volunteer for weeks at a time. Digital nomads sometimes earn a bad rep for not trying to assimilate and get to know locals, this is the perfect way to make local connections from the start. It may require knowledge of the local language to get your foot in the door, but the opportunities to meet others with common interests while helping a great cause is worth it. Also, interacting with friends online through Tweets, posts, likes, messages, shares, and so on is much faster and simpler than a physical chat.
Attend language classes
Keep an eye out for bulletin boards, flyer stands, and neighborhood groups online that advertise clubs and organizations and submit your own ideas to take the lead. Luckily, even if you’re far away, you can still rely on your existing friends for support. “Getting connected with people who are already connected to your social circle is a great way to plug into the social fabric of a new place.”
- Imagine if you couldn’t drop by a co-worker’s desk during your very first job, or go out for drinks after work with your colleagues.
- Now it’s the perfect time to try and get to know them better.
- On the other hand, if none of those active ways to meet friends suits your fancy, there’s always the smart way to make friends- using an app.
- Especially once you have moved to a new city, chances are you don’t want to download a million apps just to find a friend.
- Just because you’re in the market for new friends doesn’t mean your colleagues are, Duffy says.
While not meeting in person can make it harder to get close, it isn’t impossible. Most of the time you can find at least one person you really like at your company. If there is one person you connect with in the regular virtual meetings or Slack line, reach out and https://remotemode.net/blog/tips-on-how-to-make-friends-when-you-work-from-home/ make a plan to meet, virtually or in-person. Even one close friend can turn a work chore into a chance for fun. Looking for one person to connect with can help make a difficult project feel less overwhelming, and help improve your mood and creativity at work.
Turn your solo hobbies into social ones
You don’t need to share deep secrets, but you should try to make interactions about more than just work. But interacting doesn’t always have to mean hopping on a video call. Fill in the gaps by joining conversations in Slack, sharing emoji reactions, and liking social posts. The more you engage with a person, the stronger a professional relationship—and personal friendship—you can build. It was awkward for about a minute, but a single hug later we were picking up in real life where we’d left off online.
- And I want you to notice something – none of what I shared addresses what you do, and that is on purpose.
- It’s always better to be safe than in any kind of dangerous situation.
- You could volunteer at an animal shelter or sign up for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
- Once you have selected events that you are interested in attending, you may also see a group of other individuals who will be attending.
- Once you match with someone, you can start chatting and decide if you want to make a plan to hang out.