Let’s be honest: Making friends as an adult, especially as a remote professional, is way more difficult than most of us thought it would be. Growing up, our parents, schools, mentors, and other support systems brought people into our lives on a regular basis. But once college graduation hit, you got your new job, your old friends moved away, and finding new friends who aren’t your coworkers became a seemingly-impossible task.
I know the feeling all too well – the desperation, the loneliness, and the sadness that can creep into our lives as a result of losing our old social groups and connections.
But if you’re here and reading this, then that means you’re ready for change. No matter whether you are an introvert, extrovert, ambivert, or any other “vert” that’s out there, I promise you’ll be able to use this tried-and-true advice to make genuine and meaningful friendships outside of the office. Let’s dive right in and get you out into the world, meeting new people and building awesome new friendships!
Quick-Glance Summary
To start building your new circle of friends as a remote professional, hop on ChatGPT or a search engine and find one of these groups or activities in your area:
- Hobby/activity clubs
- Volunteering groups
- Sports leagues
- Dog parks (if applicable)
- Community-building apps, such as:
- Sweatpals: I used for active sports and activities (I found my bouldering club on here)
- Meetup: I used for social gatherings and parties (I found fun social activities for young adults on here)
- Bookclubs: I used for bookclubs and related activities (I found two book clubs that I attend regularly on here)
- Bumble BFF: I used to find other young professionals in my area (I found other social groups, mostly with my girl friends, to attend on here)
1. Join Hobby, Activity, and Interest Clubs
Usually, we find that we enjoy the company of people who share our interests – common interests give us something to chat about and connect over. This is the reason why hobby, activity, and interest clubs are one of the best ways to make new, genuine connections that come easily and quickly! Additionally, you get to do and share something you enjoy with other people who enjoy the same thing. What could be better than that?
Whether your passion is crocheting, rock-climbing, hiking, reading, painting, etc., there’s usually a high chance that you’ll be able to find a group that shares your love of the hobby in your area (or at least within driving distance).
2. Find Local Volunteering Groups
Volunteering is not only a great way to give back to your community, but it’s also a great way to meet new people who care about others as much as you do! While you can volunteer on your own, I highly recommend looking online and finding a volunteering group near you. It makes the experience a lot more fun and will bring you closer to new friends!
3. Sign Up for a Sports League
Any athletes here? This is for you! Sports leagues are an awesome way to create connections of friendship and teamwork with other people who are as passionate about sports and physical fitness as you! Just look up a sport you’d like to play (pickleball has become an obsession for many right now where I’m at), and sign up for a league in your area.
4. Visit the Dog Park
If you have a dog or are planning on adopting one, the dog park is a great way to meet other dog-lovers! You immediately have something in common, and are likely to go on a regular basis. Both of these factors set a great foundation for building new friendships and connections!
5. Explore Community-Building Apps and Groups
When I first encountered community-building and social apps, I thought they weren’t for me. However, I found out that I wasn’t on the right types of apps for my hobbies. I connect best with people when we have a shared hobby or activity, and fortunately, I found apps to do just that. Here are some of my recommendations:
Sweatpals: For active/athletic hobbies
Bookclubs: For book-lovers of all genres
Meetup: For social activities
BumbleBFF: For social extroverts who can connect easily with others
It’s Time to Build Your New Social Circle!
I genuinely hope that you’re able to use this information and my experiences to surround yourself with other kind, like-minded, and fun young professionals! Remember, it might take a little time and a bit of stepping outside your comfort zone, but your new social life and genuine friendships will be oh-so-worth it, I promise!
FAQs
Once you’ve build new friendships, stay in touch and invest time into your newfound connections. Texting, talking on the phone, sending memes on socials, and meeting in person to do fun activities together are great ways to maintain and grow your friendships. Tip: Keep in mind that you don’t need to talk 24/7, but at least once or twice a week is a perfect place to start!
Being an introvert can make meeting new people a nerve-wracking experience, but I’ve found one of the best ways for introverts to make new friends is to do activities together with a group. Speaking (or writing in this case
) from personal experience, it’s much easier to connect with others when focused on a common goal or activity rather than shoved into a social situation with no common ground and awkwardness filling the air.
Like with anything else, social skills are something that comes with practice. Even though it might be difficult at first, I promise the more you get out there and connect with like-minded individuals, the easier social interactions will be!
While it’s certainly not required for adults to make new friends, it can be beneficial for a number of reasons, including:
-Friendships can boost happiness and fulfillment
-Friendships can lower stress levels and provide support
-Friendships can improve health and increase life expectancy
-Friendships can inspire you and add even more fun adventures to your life
…and so much more!
The answer to this question will depend on your coworkers themselves and your occupation. If you feel you are in an occupation and position that allows you to surround yourself with awesome people who you would like to be friends with, go for it! However, I do recommend having friends outside of work as well, just in case your coworkers end up talking about work more than you would like during your time off.