What are good strategies for meeting people and building safe, healthy relationships with them in adult life?

Similar Interests

For many people, the key to meeting people in adult life is finding others with your shared interests and hobbies. You will likely meet people through common interests, common values, something that was similar between two people, an activity you like to do in order of do for fun. Vicky Lewis states that one should “find groups of people who share one or more interests.” Be creative about where you might find people who share your interests. Libraries might help you find book clubs, for example, and local parks might have information about recreational sports leagues. 

Leaving Comfort Zone

Another way to meet new people is by expanding your horizons or leaving your comfort zone. Fiona Lovecraft stated, “step outside your comfort zone”, while Larry Caldwell stated, “you have to be open to new things.” 

Family

Family is important when it comes to building new relationships. Gustav Lowry mentioned how family when speaking of the relationships you have with them. Gabrielle Burroughs mentioned that through family, you can build new relationships, whether it be through friends you meet through a significant other or siblings. Marco Cain II states that “the easiest time to find friends after college is when you have children and they start going to school and you become friends with other parents.” 

Work/Jobs

You will likely meet a number of people through work. Some will become work friends, and you might hang out after work or grab lunches together. Others might become more long-term friends that you still hang out with even if you leave the job

Technology

There are lots of technological tools that can help you find or maintain friendships. The internet and various apps can help you connect to people who share your interests, and many people use various social media to advertise their interests. In most cities, you can find meetup groups, for example, and there are a variety of friend-match-making sites online. Tools like VolunteerMatch help people connect to others who share a common charitable cause.

This page was developed from interviews with:

Gustav Lowry, Earl Roth, Cindy Bellow, Mainiac, Erin Nabokov, Ana Ford, Igor O’Hara, Gabrielle Burroughs, Anna Farrell, Marco Cain II, Fiona Lovecraft