How to make friends and fight loneliness.

Making friends and improving health by getting over loneliness

It's hard to be lonely. It's possible to feel lonely when you don't have any friends and are missing someone to talk to, or when you are with people you can talk to, or even your family and friends.

In either case, being alone for a long time can be very bad for your health. It makes you more likely to get coronary artery disease, a stroke, depression, high blood pressure, memory loss, failure to do daily tasks, and even early death.

Here are three ways to make new friends and feel less lonely, which will make you happier.

Getting started

You can't always get over being alone by going out to meet new people. If you feel lonely even though you have relationships, you might need to talk to a therapist and check yourself from within.

For people who feel lonely because they don't have enough friends, meeting new people is more of an outward journey for them. As people get older, they tend to become less flexible in the way they live their lives. These days, making friends is harder than it used to be in the past.

These are the tips that will help you.

1. Look for people with similar beliefs.

You can make friends more quickly with people who like the same things you do.
First, think about what you like. Do you read a lot, watch a lot of movies, study history, farm, eat a lot, have a dog, or play sports? Are you really interested in a good cause, your neighborhood, or your history? Do you collect things? Are you crazy about old cars? Do you like changing the way old furniture looks? You might want to learn something new, like how to cook a Nigerian dish or speak a new language. If you are interested in any of these hobbies or things you want to try, Look for clubs, charity workshops, classes, or online groups that can help you achieve them.

When you join a group, you have to keep going to it so that you can make friends. It would be great if you could be there in person.

2. Learn how to get along with others.

Sometimes the simple social skills that help us really connect with other people get rusty over time. You'll be happier if you're not just hoping that someone will notice how interesting you are.

How to get better:

Make more smiles. When you smile, you make other people feel welcome and at ease.

Make things interesting. Are you ready to talk or ask something? One idea is to talk about the news or why everyone is here (if it's a class, ask someone how long they've been interested in the subject). Or, find something to talk about. That person may be wearing a pretty pin. See if there's a story behind it.

Try your best to listen. As you listen, show that you are interested in what they have to say. You can look at them, nod your head, or say "Mmm" while they talk to help. Feel like everyone is waiting to hear what you have to say.

There are more things you should ask. Don't go away when someone tells you they have an interesting story. If they hint at something, show that you're interested and ask them to go into more detail. They're leaving clues that will lead to a more in-depth talk.

3. Make chances happen.
If you don't want to join someone else's group, make your own. Hold events at your home or somewhere else. It only takes three people. You can say something like, "Let's read books, talk about a TV show, or have dinner together every week."

Here are some other ideas for weekly or monthly get-togethers:

• Nights with games
• A night of trivia
• Hiking in beautiful parks, walks on the beach, trips to museums, cooking, knitting, sewing, or crafting, shopping, day trips to nearby towns, making jewelry, collecting comic books, old dolls, and baseball cards, and showing off your collection

Not just close friends can come; anyone you want to get to know better is welcome. It could be a friend or a coworker.

If they want to, set up times and places to get together regularly. The idea might only be thought about unless something changes. Don't be shy.

Even if you don't become friends, chatting can still be useful. The people who interacted with strangers, coworkers, friends, and family the most were happier than the people who interacted with the fewest types of people. This was found in a study from 2022.

Finally, talking to a lot of different people is good for your health, whether it's the cashier at the grocery store, a neighbor, an old friend, or a new friend. All of these connections might make you feel less lonely.

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