Have you ever moved to an entirely new place where you didn’t know a single soul? Moving to a new city is a stressful job, and on top of that, it’s even more difficult if you have no one to help you in the process. Leaving your old life and people behind and starting a new beginning in a new place all over again can feel unnerving. Not only do you have to deal with the post-relocation depressions but also set up the new home, shopping, and everything all by yourself without an extra hand to help you. However, meeting new people and making friends in a new city isn’t that difficult as it seems.
Research reveals that nearly half of young adults feel lonely most of the time.
Research conducted by the health insurance company Cigna, including 20,000 adults, discovered that 43% of young adults said they feel like no one actually knows them well and did not have meaningful relationships.
It’s harder to make friends for adults and teenagers as the idea of going out and talking with strangers can be intimidating for them. And likewise, not having anyone share your feelings can lead to feeling lonely and homesick, which will probably happen in due time in the moving process.
Overcoming homesickness is the first brick to lay for building new friendships, especially when you’re in a new city far away from home.
We know making new friends is a struggle for everyone, but we came up with some sure ways to help you make new friends in a new city.
Why Making Friends In A New City Is Important?
Before we begin to discuss the “How” part of this post, let’s take a moment to go through the importance of having friends in an unfamiliar city.
1. Rescue In Emergency Situations
Imagine being all alone in a city where you don’t know anyone in times of emergencies. The thought itself is so scary that it will make you want at least one friend.
Life is unpredictable. Sometimes, getting known with all the healthcare facilities of a new city can be incredibly daunting if you don’t have someone to help you out in medical emergencies.
Making friends in a new country allows you to feel supported, and when the emergency calls, you can always rely on them.
2. Stay Away From Depression
As per the study, moving to a new place can make one feel miserable and unhappy.
People have a hard time letting go of their old homes and friends because of their memories. It negatively impacts one’s health after moving out and if you don’t have anyone for support, recovering from the sadness takes a long time.
Now, kids can take their time to get friendly with the new environment, but for adults, it’s critical not to succumb to depression as it can harm their job.
Only friends can help you break free from feeling lonely and make new memories.
3. Explore The New City
How sad it would be to live in a beautiful city but not have any friends to explore with, isn’t it?
Meeting people in the new city permits you to venture into unexplored places. It builds your confidence, self-esteem, and overall image to the other people you interact with.
Is It Hard To Make Friends In A New City?
Remember when you took admissions to a new school?
Did all your schoolmates know you before your admission? No!
You had to personally approach people and initiate a conversation to get familiar with the school and your classmates.
Similarly, whether you change jobs or move to new places, building new relationships with people takes time.
Making friends in a new city can be hard in the beginning. Still, eventually, once you get familiar with the feeling of finally settling down and going to new places, the process of meeting people becomes a tad easier.
It’s mostly the working adults who find it difficult to establish a connection with new people since they leave behind their old networks, and finding new friends who share the same interests becomes a challenging task for them.
How To Make Friends When You Move To A New Place As An Adult?
1. Volunteer In Your Community
If you want to be a part of your city, volunteering is a great way to start meeting new people. It’s simply heartwarming to see how much you can impact people’s lives just by lending a hand.
Through volunteering, you get to meet many like-minded people who live in the same community as yours, and before you even realize it, you’ve got a bunch of friends to share your time with.
It’s a win-win situation as you get to interact with genuine and loving people who are ready to help you whenever you need it.
2. Be Open To Forming Friendships At Work
Building friendships in the workplace is a good idea since you’d have to go there daily. By doing this, you end up expanding your friend circle as your coworkers can ask you out whenever they have a get-together with their friends.
When I worked at Dunkin Donuts years ago, I met this one girl that I became good friends with, and through her help, I ended up meeting five or six other people I became acquainted with.
It’s no rocket science!
All you have to do is approach people at your new job and initiate a conversation with them. See with whom you vibe the best and steer clear of toxic people at the workplace since they can lower your mood than it already is due to relocation.
3. Get A Pet
Pets can always be your best pals, no matter what.
In a new city where everyone is a stranger, getting yourself a pet can help you stay away from feeling lonely. And if you don’t have the money to buy one, you can always adopt a pet.
Also, when you have a pet and take them for a walk outside, you’d be surprised how often people stop you while walking your pet.
We have heard stories about people colliding paths with strangers over a pet-walking and befriending them the next moment.
This should motivate you enough to get a pet as it’s always nice to come home to a furry friend instead of an empty apartment or house.
4. Put Yourself Out There
Doing this sounds easy, but it is not. As adults, putting yourself out in any social situation might be nerve-wracking for some people. However, it is also imperative to talk to new people to keep loneliness at bay.
Meeting people and having a conversation with them is necessary to build a relationship because, in the end, you can’t run away from reaching out to people whenever in dire need.
You can reach out to like-minded people through
- Facebook Groups
- Apps
- Meetup or Networking Events
- Community Clubs
- Signing Up For New Classes
You could take a class or start doing something you’ve always wanted to do and meet new people while learning a new skill. Nothing will happen if you coup yourself up in your house and don’t go outside.
5. Stay In Contact With Those In Your Hometown
If you’re finding it hard to meet new people in a new city, learning how to keep up with long-distance friendships and being in touch with your old buddies can help to some extent.
I say this for multiple reasons.
- First, it can be hard to move to a new place, and keeping that support system around can be helpful.
- Second, prolonged loneliness after moving to a new home can lead to relocation depression, making it tough to cope with the new life.
This opens the doors for your old friends to come and visit you whenever they are in the same city. That will make socializing in public less intimidating, and you may feel more comfortable speaking to new people because you’re not doing it while being entirely alone.
Here are the types of friends you need to hold on to in life!
6. Become A Well Rounded Person
Making new friends in an unknown city is not that scary if you are a well-rounded person. A well-rounded person is someone who instantly connects with other people. They show interest in other’s opinions and respect people for their authenticity.
And let’s accept that we love interacting with people who keenly listens to what we have to say.
When you’re out by yourself with new people, try to be in the moment and keep your inner dialogues positive. It will immensely help you find new friends with similar interests in the city.
7. Get To Know Your Neighborhood
The holiday season is around the corner, and it’s an excellent idea to throw a party at your place during Christmas for your neighbors. Make use of the festive season to bond with people in your neighborhood.
It’s normal for people to feel lonely away from their friends and family during the festive season.
You can make your holidays memorable by helping people in the neighborhood and host a house party at your place for them. Not only you’ll bond with them, but also you won’t feel lonely during this season when everyone’s spending time with their loved ones.
8. Overcome Social Anxiety
Finding new friends in a completely new city is an uphill task. It’s even more exhausting for people with a social anxiety disorder.
Studies show, 15 million, i.e., 7% of American adults, have social anxiety disorders. As a result, this affects their social life, school, or even finding it difficult to crack a job interview.
People with social anxiety find it hard to mingle with new people due to fear of judgment.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind whenever you’re trying to meet friends in a new city.
- Pick a new hobby that you always were interested in. Having common hobbies can immensely help people with social anxiety disorder interact with new people effortlessly, as it’s often the small talks that trigger anxiety.
- Attend a dance class, preferably where you need to have a dance partner. This is probably the best way to form friendships and find friends in the new city.
- Don’t ever let anyone compromise on your beliefs and values. Real friends will never do that, and you won’t feel the need to fit in.
- Having fewer friends is better than having many of them.
A Word From AlignThoughts
Yes, we know that moving can be rough, but it doesn’t have to be all bad.
There are more than 7 billion people on this planet, and there’s someone who’s looking out for you too. All you have to do is get out of your comfort zone a little bit, and within no time, you’ll have a close-knit circle of friends.
Have you ever moved to a new place where you didn’t know anyone? How did you make friends? Comment below!
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Key Takeaways On How To Find Friends In A New City
- Moving to a new city is a strenuous job if you have no one to help you in the process.
- According to research, close to 50% of young adults feel more lonely, and they have hard time building relationships in new places.
- The need to make new friends in the new place is important for several reasons – to prevent depression, explore the new city, and, of course, you need someone to turn to in case of emergency.
- Homesickness is one of the primary reasons for feeling left out and not finding friends in a new city.
- Making friends can be tedious in the beginning. Still, once you get familiar and settle down in the new environment, it becomes easier to find people with similar interests in the city.
- Volunteering in a community for a cause that you support is probably the best way to meet like-minded people.
- Don’t refrain from interacting with coworkers at your new workplace, as they are the bridge for your new friendships.
- Stay away from toxic people as they can make you more depressed.
- Adopt a pet if you can, as they are a great company to have around when you’re dealing with post-relocation depression.
- If you don’t want a pet, you can take your neighbor’s pet on a walk and meet with fellow pet owners in a park.
- Join Facebook groups, apps, and community clubs to find friends with similar interests in the city.
- Stay in contact with your old pals; you can also show your new city when visiting your place.
- Become a well-rounded person as it instantly helps you click with unknown faces.
- Lastly, host a welcome party at your place and invite your neighbors. It will help you overcome any possible signs of Social Anxiety Disorders too.
How to make friends in a new city for guys?
- Join a gym class.
- Involve yourself in sports activities like basketball, soccer, and baseball.
- Enroll yourself as a member of the sports team in college.
- Attending Toastmaster club.
What are the tips for making friends in a new city after college?
- Invite people over a lunch date.
- Give equal priorities to your college studies and friends.
- Be in contact with old friends via social media apps.
How to meet people and make friends in a new city as an introvert?
Here are some professional strategies for introverts to form friendships in a new city.
- Greet a stranger while walking down the streets.
- Join a book club or become a member of a local library.
- Invite your college friends to your friends.
- Compliment people about their strengths and power.
