Ask your current friends if they know anyone in the city you just moved to. Your preferred social media network will be invaluable here – publish a Facebook post like “I just moved to [NAME OF CITY] and I’d love to meet some cool people here. Of course, following that advice is much easier said than done. In reality, making friends in a new city can sometimes be a real struggle… unless you know some smart ways to form new friendships and find good friends for life. This sounds super basic, but letting people know that you like them is another quick way to bridge the friendship divide.

• Don’t be afraid to push past the fear of rejection or “infiltrating” a friend group just because of what you’re shown online.
• Moving is already incredibly brave, but if you’re having trouble recognizing that in yourself, give yourself a dose of something extra-thrilling by trying something totally new.
• “Don’t waste your time or theirs—be you.” The qualities you think make you weird are exactly what some people are looking for in a BFF.
• It’s because you were all thrown together in halls, shared houses, lectures and the student union.
• Don’t set your sights higher than a three- or four-person hangout, as that could make others in the office feel excluded, especially if you’re working on a team that rarely goes in-person.

They ended up starting what’s now a Meetup group called New2Lou. On the second Wednesday of every month, New2Lou attracts about 150 to 200 people to a different bar or restaurant. Adams also took a look at who she knew in Seattle already — she had a childhood friend and an acquaintance from her college sorority. Though neither were close friends, she messaged them anyway to say hello and let’s hang out. Mercifully, using a combination of tech tools and the gumption to get out there and chat people up, you can rebuild your gang in a new city.

Relationships

Acknowledge the difficulty of the process, honor your feelings, and commend yourself for the effort you’re putting in. “If the loneliness persists and it’s impacting your mental health, I recommend scheduling an appointment with a licensed mental health professional,” she says. After another quiet night alone of Pho take-out and Sabrina The Teenage Witch episodes, Yasmin wasn’t sure how to make friends when you work from home if she made the right decision to come to Chicago. To hold herself accountable for human interaction, she joined a drawing class. The mere exposure effect suggests, as Yasmin eventually intuited, that having continuous interaction with another person will make us more likely to form friendships. But you’ll still need to initiate—ask someone from your class to grab a coffee after.

• So there’s no reason not to walk into a room with your head held high.
• Just change a few of your habits and force yourself out the door.
• Eat at a restaurant instead of hauling take-out back to your place.
• “Your old camp friend, former roommate, or cousin may have a great friend to connect you to in the area,” she says.
• “When it comes to friendships, having close friends is one of the best things we can do for our health and wellbeing,” says Franco.
• To branch back out and meet some friendly faces, you can easily venture outside the office using the office friends you’ve already made.

Reddit is a great source to find an open mic night in your area, and even if you don’t want to display your talent (or lack thereof), people are genuinely friendly and willing to talk to you. If you’re a bit of an introvert or you’re already at your computer screen, finding online interest groups is far easier than you anticipated. Most towns and cities have some sort of interest groups that might pique your interest.

Try Online Interest Groups

Find the courage to strike up a conversation with someone who has also been admiring a painting in the city gallery, or joke with someone who’s been watching the penguins at the zoo almost trance-like. But the real benefit of having a bicycle in the new city can be biking to work and back with some of the co-workers or hooking up with other cycling enthusiasts in the area. With a little luck, you should be able to get a few contacts.

You most definitely adopted preferences in activities over the years. That’s fine, but keep an open mind about trying new things. Let your new acquaintances know you’re new in town and ask them to join you for a drink or coffee. Join a gym, yoga studio, or CrossFit class and strike up a conversation with others. Chat up other participants and invite those you connect with to hang out.