Making friends
Changing your school or starting college, university or a new job can often leave you feeling a little lonely, and needing to make some new friends. Sometimes you might just get stuck in a rut, and want to liven up your social life. But how do you actually go about making new friends?
The following top tips will help you on your way..:
- Get the friendship ball rolling with a smile! A great way to break the ice and open a conversation is with a smile. Think about something you’ve got in common with the other person – like the homework or the coursework – or even the weather – and ask what they think about it. Making that first move takes the pressure off the other person, and most of the time they’ll be happy to chat. Remember, a smile and a few words is often all that’s needed to set the friendship ball rolling..
- Get out and about. Friendships are often formed between people who’ve got a common interest. The best way to find like-minded people is to join a local club where you can go along, have fun and just be yourself. Why visit the Freetime section and check out things to do and places to go in your local area.
- Get involved with a good cause. If you want to meet new people and help others at the same time, then why not try volunteering. It’s a great way to have fun, make new friends and learn new skills that will help you become more employable in the future. Plus you’ll have something interesting to talk about!
- Keeping in touch. If you get on well with someone, then you might offer to swap email addresses or phone numbers, and keep in touch with them. As always, consider your personal safety with anyone you don't know very well, and don't rush into giving them your home address or similar details straight away…. Remember - don't just ditch your old friends either - drop them a line every now and again if you've moved away.
