While there are many things you can do to fight loneliness – from joining a club or getting involved in your community to spending time with friends and family – sometimes that isn’t enough.
Try out these six tips if you’re looking for an additional way to connect with others!
Who knows? You may find the connection you’ve been searching for.
1. Join Facebook Groups
You can search for Facebook groups by entering a keyword or phrase. Once the search results come up, select groups only.
Some great groups for meeting people could be your own alumni associations, groups with common interests as you, or groups discussing and sharing new skills you want to learn.
When you join a group on Facebook, you can post and see what others post. Being an active member will increase your chances of connecting with someone you can open up to.
Some groups have special threads or conversation starters to get discussions going. Look out for these and contribute to the discussions too.
Do your best to post good comments about what other group members share. Soon, you will become known by other group members and get to know them too.
Remember that Facebook only allows you to join 6,000 groups at once!
2. Start a Club
If you have a special skill or interest, starting a community club is a great way to make new friends while helping others learn something new.
Your club can be a hobby for interests like running, science, chess, baking, gardening, knitting, birdwatching, reading, or singing. You could also do a club focused on a professional group or start a faith-based club.
The important thing is to have a goal in mind and decide what you will do in your meetings.
Setting up a local club will also require these steps:
Deciding on a meeting place:
You will want a safe and practical location for all your potential members to reach regularly.
For the first few meetings, it’s a good idea not to use your home just yet. Once you have established a good level of trust among your members, then in-home meetings could become an option.
Otherwise, a public space like a cafe, park, or library grounds could suffice. School or church buildings are also a good option if you get permission to use those facilities.
Choosing a schedule for your meetings:
As is true for the location, the meeting time and days must be convenient for all members.
A general rule is to choose a day and time outside of regular working hours if your club will target working adults. A day and time outside school hours will be preferable if you are looking to attract high school or college level students.
Short and sweet is always better regarding the duration of each meeting. One hour may be just about right.
This will ensure your club members give full support and won’t see your meetings as boring or inconvenient.
Spreading the word to new members:
You can do this by handing out flyers and putting posters on notice boards.
You can also use social media to recruit members. Be sure to include the club’s name, meeting place, date, and time, as well as your contact information.
Before you know it, your club will be underway, and you will be set up to have a new set of friends you can talk to.
3. Reach Out to Others
Sometimes we have to give to receive. So another good way to find someone to open up to is by reaching out to others.
Ask someone else how they’re doing and offer your listening skills first.
You can do this by going through your phone contacts and email address book and sending well-constructed and inspiring thoughts to some of your contacts.
Maybe there’s someone who is celebrating a birthday, or perhaps you know someone who is ill. Send them a nice note, call them, text them, or post something on their social media.
It may be that they will reciprocate the kindness you show, and you will get your chance to open up to someone.
4. Do a Course in Person or Online
Learning a new skill can be fun, and many courses require group work. That’s what you are looking for to find someone to open up to.
By constantly spending time on group assignments, you get to forge new friendships. Be on top of your game for all group assignments and discussions in-class sessions.
That way, you will stand out in the minds of your coursemates and get to build long-lasting bonds.
5. Become a Volunteer
Volunteering comes with many benefits.
Career advancement, skill development, and self-fulfillment are a few advantages people gain from volunteering. Another very valuable perk comes from volunteering – you can get to know many people.
Organizations like libraries, nature reserves, homeless shelters, charities, and churches are often open to volunteers. There can be opportunities to do secretarial tasks, tutoring, cleaning, or provide companionship.
In the long run, you will find like-minded people who support your causes and maybe a friend to whom you can eventually open up.
Final Thoughts
We all need someone to open up to every once in a while.
It helps bring comfort and can minimize negative feelings like guilt and shame.
These 6 strategies can put you on track to finding someone who will listen.
Sources
What are the benefits of opening up?
13 Good places to volunteer – opportunities and organizations