For an introvert, the art of making new friends can seem like learning rocket science in primary school. This simple introvert guide to making new friends is very handy since having real friends is always a good thing.
For introverts who have to go out every day either to work or school, it might be easy to make friends since they meet people daily. But what about those who hardly leave home? In this category are introverts who work from home.
For them, their social life is practically non-existent. The work they do is a welcome opportunity to remain in their comfort zone for as long as they wish.
Though the introvert is comfortable with that life, it is a lonely and sad way to live. And the older one gets, it becomes harder to make new friends.
No matter your condition or your preferences, an introvert guide to making new friends should be something you must read. It might not make you tons of new friends, but it would help get you a few like-minded individuals you can hang out with from time to time. This is the sort of people you would gladly call your close circle of buddies.
Introvert guide to making New friends
1. Ask yourself why you want friends
This is important as a guide to your real motives. Is it that your current friends are boring and you want the excitement of meeting new people?
Or perhaps, your old friends are not hanging out with you enough? In which case, it might just be a matter of finding new ways to connect with them.
Whatever your motives for seeking friends as an introvert, you must be honest with yourself. Think it over and decide before undertaking this task.
2. Make an effort to go out more
Any introvert guide to making new friends must start with the basic: go out and increase your chances of meeting interesting people.
Introverts who go to school or jobs think that is enough going out for one day. Actually, what doesn’t get you friends is if after work/school, you just go home, shut the door and wait to repeat the same routine the next day.
Make the effort to do stuff outside your daily routines. Places you can go to are bars, sports centers, concerts, etc. These are opportunities to meet new people. And who knows, you might strike gold by making new friends from time to time.
3. Do the things you like doing
Making yourself go out is hard enough. You can make the experience a little easier to bear by doing things you enjoy doing when you are alone.
This way, the people you meet while indulging your passion already have something in common with you. You’d find it easy to engage in conversation with them about the shared interest.
For instance, if you love playing chess on your laptop, go to a chess club or a place where people meet to play the game.
4. Spend more time with current friends
This introvert guide to making new friends assumes that some introverts have real friends. To make more friends, a good tip is to hang out more with these friends.
When you spend more time with your friends, you would surely get to meet their own friends. Take the time to also talk to these mutual friends. You never know, you might meet someone interesting who has many things in common with you.
5. Learn the art of small talk
One trick of very social people is that they can chat with total strangers as if they are old friends.
The skill rests solely on the ability to talk about unimportant things; it is also known as small talk. This is not difficult. It is all about making the effort to ask simple questions or making simple observations about the person.
One way is to throw an honest compliment their way. For instance, you can talk about how great their shoes are. People appreciate little things like that. They would open up to you easily in most cases.
6. Keep talking
If after initiating ‘small talk’ you discover you like them or enjoy their company, don’t walk away. As an introvert, your instinct is to end conversations as soon as possible. Squash the instinct.
Hang around and gist with them for as long as possible. Chances are, they want you to stay because they also enjoy your company.
7. Get their contact number
Though you might feel weird about it; but since the plan is to make friends, you want to keep in touch with them.
If asking for their personal number would prove awkward, you can start by connecting with them on Facebook. Continue the chat there and when you feel comfortable enough, ask for their number so you can call them up from time to time.
Remember, it is stupid to ask for somebody’s number a couple of minutes after meeting them. Give it time for a rapport to develop first.
8. Stay in touch
Now you have the number, make sure to stay in touch with your new friend. But, staying in touch doesn’t mean calling them up anytime you wish.
Once a week is okay. As an introvert, that should be easy to manage.
You can also suggest outings or activities you can do together when you call them up. Don’t feel bad if they refuse your suggestion. They might have a very good reason even if they don’t tell you about it.
Just trust that with time, you would get to be good friends.
So, basically, the point this introvert guide to making new friends is driving at is this: when you make the effort, getting new friends is as easy as walking out of your house.
Do you have any more tips on how introverts can make new friends? Share them with us in the comment section. You can also use our Facebook page or Twitter handle to drop some pearls of wisdom about making friends by introverts.
Cheers.
