Friendships and social life are important. They help us deal with stress, keep us in shape, and provide us with useful acquaintances, among other benefits. However, finding friends can be challenging, especially for anxious introverts. Introverts enjoy their own company and don’t need a huge social life to feel content. They often stay indoors, opting to watch Netflix series, read books, and other quiet and solitary weekend activities.
If you are in this fold, consider the following tips to find new friends.
Start with the People You Know
This is probably the easiest way introverts can make friends. Before looking to add new people into your circle, try improving your friendship with those you already know. With this approach, you won’t have to attend local events or networking spaces to meet new people. Look to your circle for someone with similar interests. Take an inventory of your present acquaintances, be it those at work, friendly neighbors, or someone within your social group. This is the easiest way to find friends to chat with, as you will already have some introductory background.
Get Off the Internet
There are undoubtedly many ways to find friends online, but limiting your internet usage can help you find friends in real life. Approximately 67 percent of introverts attest that they are comfortable interacting with people online compared to talking to them in real life. However, even if you can find friends online using a make-friends app, you might enjoy meeting people and talking to them face-to-face. Use online resources to find friends initially, but schedule regular in-person meetings. Several studies conclude that in-person conversations effectively relieve loneliness compared to chatting online or through phones.
Once you are off the internet and spending more time with people, try to avoid social burnout. Note that being social doesn’t mean spending all the time with people, especially if it is stressful for you. Extroverts like to spend lots of time hanging out with others. However, introverts need time off to recharge their social batteries and connect with friends once again.
Make the First Move
Most introverts usually wait for others to approach them. This occurs probably after a bout of awkward interactions and rejections, especially for those who live with anxiety. They may worry that the person they approach wouldn’t like their personality. Without a doubt, making new friends comes with many self-doubts. For instance, many introverts would like to see the world but hesitate to do it because they don’t have a traveling companion. Making the first move on potential friends can help you find people to travel with.
If you want to meet new people, you should get yourself together and try to have friendly interactions with people at your places of interest. You will find that making friends is much easier in like-minded surroundings. If you’re a nature lover, go to public parks where you might share your interest in plants and wildlife. Don’t wait till someone else is interested; take action, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
Maintain the Quiet Leader in You
Introverts trying to find friends often believe that they should interact with popular and outgoing people. However, you should really be on the lookout for other introverted people who are low-key and prefer hanging out in quiet environments. This way, you can decide when, where, and how often you go out. This is the best way to find friends who are inviting and can easily connect with you. You may be the leading one in this circle, instead of trying to gain the appreciation of people you are not comfortable with.
Show Your Inner World
As you head out to find friends, avoid trying to be liked by everyone you meet. Being someone you are not to gain other people’s attention is exhausting and useless. You need real sympathy, not fake communication based on your fear of being rejected. Be yourself, show your beautiful inner world and look for people who will cherish it.
Always aim at connecting with people, showing them who you are. You shouldn’t be ashamed to open up, as it will help you find genuine friendships. Doing this will help you build strong relationships based on shared interests. You might even find someone to split Netflix with; he or she might have the same preference for watching movies at home.
Always Ask Questions
Unconsciously, most people find themselves talking about life happenings when they meet. However, this is something many anxious introverts looking for friends fear. Sharing too much about yourself might be enough to kill a blossoming friendship. Therefore, such conversations should always be about both individuals. Try to ask others about new things in their lives, anything they have read or watched recently, and such. For their own part, introverts must learn to tolerate some small talk with others. This will help them find better ways to express themselves and interact with others productively.
Bottom Line
For many anxious introverts, finding friends is often an uphill task. They are continually searching for how to make friends on Facebook and other social media platforms, as they have a hard time with face-to-face interactions. The steps above can help anxious introverts find friends with greater ease. Other tips include developing a friendship routine, understanding other people’s level of interest, and adjusting personal expectations about friendship. Do you have other suggestions for finding friends that worked for you? Please share them in the comments section below.
About the Author: Mrs. Simyone works as a freelancer, and she also designed https://datingmentor.org/. Together with her sons, she travels around the world and enjoys discovering new foods. In her free time, Mrs. Simyone shares her experience with a toxic marriage and helps others build healthy relationships.
The opinions and views expressed in any guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in the article or linked to therein. Guest Authors may have affiliations to products mentioned or linked to in their author bios only.
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