Does anybody meet people in real anymore?
Pubs and nightclubs are now quieter places, with everyone checking and updating the online version of themselves.
In a sports bars nobody is talking stats and scores.
Everybody checks them on their phones silently and alone.
We forgot how to strike up a conversation with a girl in the park or with a stranger on the bus.
This article will revive the social skills that we ditched once we got our first smartphone.
If you are ready to make new friends and broaden your social circle, pay attention to the following paragraphs.
There’s nothing revolutionary in this text, other than real and efficient social skills you might have forgotten or underestimated their power in any given social context.
How to Meet People Outside of Home?
If you want to know how to meet people outside of home, in the real world, you must disconnect first.
In this day and age everybody is glued to some screen.
It seems like we have forgotten how to meet people outside our home or workplace.
One would say that we meet new friends online.
Truly, those are mere virtual acquaintances made in a simulated virtual world which we have come to call a social life.
All night long we talk to meet new people online.
But no matter how much we share with them it can’t be compared to some good old small talk face to face.
Without feeling a new friend close physically, without seeing their facial expressions and body language, they will remain strangers nonetheless.
We have hundreds of connections on all those big social platforms.
Yet days pass with no meaningful conversation between four eyes.
We truly neglect the effect of human contact, or the lack of it, can have on our body.
It’s important to meet your friends for a conversation within the personal space it’s important.
First of all, it calms us down and helps reduce stress.
But it has also been proven that a friendly touch, such as a hug, shaking hands or a high five, will increase our body’s oxytocin level.
This hormone plays a major role in relieving stress, depression and anxiety.
Without it we’re prone to emotional imbalance.
The human is a social animal and an interactive social circle is vital for wellbeing.
Meeting people or making friends needs you to find places to meet and do social networking.
Coffee shops or moving to a new place is a good way to make a new friend.
Also, its always good to introduce yourself so you can find like minded people.
If you live in a community, find new friends in social situations like at the gym, or you can go to social events to meet other people.
Making friends is easier when you are really interested in other folks’ interests.
I’m not a grumpy old man telling youths to put down their phones.
We cannot deny the fact that the internet can truly be helpful when we want to meet new people.
Let’s say you’re in a new city and you don’t know anyone around.
Apps like Bumble or Meetup can truly help you meet local people.
But there are some steps and social skills most of us ignore in the journey between meeting new people and making good friends.
If you’re done with the dry online chat, you should definitely start meeting other people in the real world.
But, before we’ll dive into specific situations where you can form new friendships or even meet someone new or newcomers from city, let’s run through the basic skills needed to talk to people in the real world.
Although the introverts are in dire need to learn and naturalize these abilities, extroverts could use them to increase the quality of their social life.
Suppose, you have found a new person and you are interested in meeting new people in your local community, to become friends with them.
One imperative thing to do is to be approachable and overcome your social anxiety if you are an introvert.
Introverted individuals lack socializing skills and others find that awkward.
However, it does not mean that you can’t make lots of friends, studies explain that if you say hello to a strange that reduces your social phobia by almost one third of its total intensity, thus, you can enjoy meeting new people as well.
Meet friends and start chatting and you are good to go.
First of all, say hi in a proper manner!
Everybody can say it, but folks don’t realize the importance of a good first impression.
Psychological studies have researched a wide range of characteristics which contribute to the forming of a first impression.
And some of them can be improved with so much ease.
Amongst those characteristics, the easiest to be changed are physical appearance, voice level, posture, eye contact, and tone of voice.
When you say hi, the most important thing is eye contact. Always remember this!
Don’t shake hands, don’t high-five, don’t answer when someone is calling your name without looking the other person in the eyes.
You might feel shyness at first, especially if you are an introvert, but I guarantee it will pass after several encounters.
When you start a conversation, start it with small talk.
Let’s say you want to strike up a conversation with a girl you like.
Don’t be too frank and let her know that as soon as you open your mouth.
She’ll figure out you like her on her own.
Talk about something neutral, something you might have in common.
Topics about the context you’re both in will never fail.
Meaningful conversations are not exclusive to good old best friends.
You can have a meaningful conversation with new friends, as long as you make them feel comfortable around you.
And here’s how you can make strangers feel like friends.
Look people in their eyes, but also remember to have your smile on, as natural as possible.
People can spot a fake smile and they get easily turned off by excessive compliments, so tone those down.
Have an open and tranquil body language.
Whomever you’re talking to, make sure you face them with your hole body.
Touching the other person is not forbidden.
In the same time, limit yourself to one or two light half-a-second contacts on hands and arms.
And most importantly, embrace the silence.
It’s not always awkward.
Don’t hush to fill in every moment of pause in the conversation.
It will be perceived as desperate and it’s tiering.
Now let’s imagine these skills applied in specific social contexts where meeting new people is the reason everybody’s there.
With the social skills refreshed and tips on how to use them in different social contexts, you’re ready to mingle.
We’ve given you the tricks you need, but we can’t meet your friends for you.
Remember to look people in the eyes and smile.
Good luck out there, champ!
Meet Someone at Speed Dating
If you find yourself in a new city, with no acquaintances and you don’t know where to start building a social circle, speed dating is the perfect event to meet a lady.
The idea is brilliant!
Everybody is there to meet someone at speed dating.
Nobody will turn down an attempt to start a conversation, so there will be no rejection disappointment to discourage you.
And if something goes south, you can always do a better job with the next person.
But before you leave the house, make sure that everything is on point with your appearance.
Get a new haircut, pay a visit to the barbershop, smell nice, dress-up, fix your nails, you could even exfoliate your face.
You’re about to share personal space with at least a dozen ladies, and as you might know, they pay close attention to these details.
Make Friends Going in a Pub, Bar or Nightclub
When people go out to have fun, they’re always open to form new friendships.
The pub or the night club can be the perfect environment for an introvert who wants to make new friends.
That’s because a bit of alcohol can work as a social lubricant.
But whatever you do, make sure to know your limit.
Nobody likes a drunk and being approached by someone with a slur is a turn off for almost everyone.
There are a couple things you can do in this situation to make people around you more comfortable.
Learn a couple of jokes, but don’t rush into being funny.
Let someone else get the first laugh.
Also, buying a drink for a girl, or even for another fellow, is always an appreciated gesture.
Don’t start buying drinks left and right, though.
People will think you’re a show-off.
Make Friends Through Cultural Activities
Making new friends through cultural activities is a terrific idea.
That’s because when you attend a cultural event you like; all people around will share a common interest.
And because of that common interest, you will have lots of things to talk about.
But just like in the previous situation, don’t try to be a show-off.
People like to hear themselves talking more than they like to listen.
Let the other person talk and listen to them actively.
Even if you know more about the subject than they do, don’t try to correct them.
You’re not there to win a debate; you’re there to win new friends.
Meet People Going to A Sports Club
The sports club in your neighborhood is yet another great place where you can meet local people.
In the previous paragraph we talked about going places where you can find people with similar interests.
Well, that’s the reason sports club were built in the first place.
If you’re into any kind of sports, you’ll have lots to talk about with everybody in there.
From the bartender to the last person who walked through the door, they’re all chatty about their favorite teams.
You can make good friends in a sports bar, but it’s mostly guy friends.
We’re not saying girls don’t go to sports bars, but we must admit that’s mostly a man cave in there.
Meet People while walking around
You don’t have to go on any kinds of apps or attend events to meet people.
You can just meet people while walking around, and it might be the healthiest way of making new friends.
Especially if you choose to take a walk around your neighborhood or in the local part.
That’s because you will get to know your neighbors. In this day and age, we forgot how to be friends with our neighbors.
And who knows, maybe there are some cute single girls or handsome guys around your block.
