Youth Incorporated Magazine

If you’ve left school, started a new job, or moved away to a new town, you might feel a little lonely without any way of knowing how you can improve your situation. It’s not always easy finding relaxing and non-stress inducing ways to meet new people – especially when you’re not forced into social situations outside of work or school. We’ve found 5 different fun ways to help you to meet new people, without any added pressure, so that you can make friends in the most comfortable way for you. 

Find Mutual Hobbies

One of the best ways that you can meet new people is by sharing a common interest, goal or hobby, as you are able to bond over what you enjoy, or even use it as a conversation starter. Your hobby could be something as popular as playing the guitar, or something as niche as Pokémon cards, like these real ones from Japan. If someone is wearing a piece of clothing related to their hobby, or has made it obvious that they have a passion, you can use this as a talking point to strike up a conversation with someone.  

Join a Club

If you’re sporty, or your hobby can be done with others in a social setting, find out if there is a club in your area where you can go to events, training sessions and socials with others in the club. It’s quite easy to find football, hockey and basketball clubs as they are common sports that lots of people play. However, there are other clubs out there for sewing, reading and knitting. If there aren’t any, then take a step forward and make one! You can get a group together by making a page on social media where others can join if they have a similar interest as you. Once you have a few people interested, you can organize to meet up together to share tips and discuss or even carry out your hobby together in a social setting. 

Friends of Friends

When you next invite your friends around for a board game night, or a potluck dinner, change things up by asking them to bring one or two of their own friends with them too. This broadens your horizons, but in a way that is familiar and comfortable to you. By being introduced to new people through a friend that you already know, you feel as though you already know them in some way. Logically, a friend of a friend should be your friend too and so you have nothing to worry about! 

Volunteer

Not only does volunteering give you a sense of achievement and satisfaction by helping others, but it’s an amazing opportunity to get to know other people. Volunteering in your local community means that you can connect with people that live nearby – either who you are helping, or who are volunteering alongside you. This means that there is a significant chance that you will see them again in the future, whether you arrange to meet up with them for dinner, or bump into them across the street.

Arrange a Street Party

A relaxed atmosphere in or outside your own home, like a block party, can be a fun way to get to know those around you that you see on a daily basis, but have never stopped to say more than hello! To help to ease the stress of planning a party, you can ask your neighbors to get involved with planning. This will be another way that you can get to know your neighbors better, by discussing the event and sharing tasks amongst each other.

Visit the Market

Instead of heading to the supermarket on your next shop for groceries, why not head to the farmer’s market or farm shop, where you can support local businesses and see the same familiar faces each week? These market stall and shop owners are always grateful for your custom, which means that they always love to engage in conversations with you. Start by asking them about what they are selling, with questions about how they make their products, where their farm is located, or how they grow their products. This is the perfect way to build up your confidence when talking to new people if these situations are particularly nerve-wracking for you, since there is no pressure nor obligation for you to return to the same people to talk to or to ask to hang out. 

Take a Cruise

If you are single, or in a relationship with a partner that also wants to meet new people, going on a cruise is one of the best ways to make friends in a fun environment. Given that most cruises are around ten days long, you have the chance to really get to know people and explore the different cities each day together. Not only is this the perfect excuse for a relaxing holiday, but you’ll also get to tick off some countries on your bucket list by traveling the world. Since you have all your meals on the boat, you and your fellow cruise travelers can sit together for breakfast and dinner. This is the perfect way to mingle with others in a low-pressure setting, without any expectations placed on you. You never know, you may find your partner in crime or friend that you’ll want to go on another cruise with in the future!

There are plenty of opportunities to meet new people without anyone putting pressure on you to commit or continue seeing them again, by initially meeting in a casual setting. The only thing required when organizing meetings with others is to put yourself out there, and to have the confidence in yourself that you are an interesting enough person for others to want to befriend! This list is non-exhaustive, and there are plenty of other different ways that you can meet new people in situations without any pressure. However, the above list should have given you a few ideas to get started on your journey to finding and socializing with new people. Most importantly, have fun!