Turns out that making new friends as a grown up is awkward for you, me and everyone else.
As someone who had to make new friends every 2 years of her life until high school because her family moved so much, making new friends is important to me. And I’m realizing they’re really important to me as I get older. But the truth is, I’m in my mid 30’s, I don’t work in a traditional office environment and is it weird when you ask a new person you just met, “Hey do you want to hang out?”
Turns out even if it is awkward you have to just go for it. Friendships don’t just happen – they have to be fostered. If you are willing to find common ground with someone you’ve recently been crossing paths with, you’ll simply remain friendly strangers.
I’ve noticed lately that I’m either making new friends through old friends or meeting parents of the kids my daughters go to school with. There’s a few ladies I like and see on a regular basis and I’ve wanted to hang out with them and now I’ve even made plans to hang out with some. But admittedly, I’ve been hesitant in the past to make new friends as a grown up because I don’t want to be the awkward woman who asks you to hang out. However, it’s not [too] hard and can be successful if you’re intentional about it. Here’s 3 ways I’ve been able to make new friends as a grown up.
DON’T STAY IN A CORNER
It’s easy to stay to yourself with everything that you have on your plate – work, kids, family and figuring out what’s for dinner (why is that so hard?!). But when you cross paths with people you see regularly, don’t hesitate to speak and ask how someone is. You don’t have to spend the next hour with them, but you can at least touch base and create a report with them. Doing this enough times takes us to the next step: finding common ground.
SUGGEST A COMMON GROUND HANGOUT
If your kids go to the same dance studio or you guys workout at the same gym, be intentional and suggest doing it together since you’ll be there anyway. Doing this removes [some of] the awkwardness of asking to hang out, you guys are simply just planning at being somewhere at the same time instead.
JUST ASK
If common ground doesn’t work and you want to hang out, just ask. Have an idea in mind like grabbing tacos and going to a wine tasting so if they say yes you can avoid the awkward silence. Sometimes people are just waiting to be asked, so if you take the initiative, you will more than likely be rewarded for it.
How do you guys find new friends? Has it ever been awkward for you?
