Making friends seems to come so easy to young kids. The older we get, the trickier it seems.
Motivational Speaker, Krystal Guerra, is sharing how to make friends and nurture relationships.
“Have you ever found yourself longing for some #SquadGoals only to realized your friendship pool has dwindled a bit?” asks Guerra. “You’re not alone, according to new research the average adult hasn’t made a new friend in five years!”
Why exactly does this happen? 45% blamed their struggles on shyness or introversion.
“Contrary to the belief that happiness is hard to explain, or that it depends on having great wealth, researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life,” says Guerra. “The primary components are number of friends, closeness of friends, closeness of family, and relationships with co-workers and neighbors. Together these features explain about 70 percent of personal happiness.
Here are Guerra’s tips to making friends and nurturing relationships:
1. Revive and rekindle: Making new friends is great but it can also be worth it to go back and revive and rekindle old friendships. The benefit to this is that it can be easier because you already have some history with them and may already be connected with them on social media. You can also leverage them as a “build through” and encourage them to bring another friend if they’d like. The more the merrier.
2. Commit to engagement: Either at work or areas you frequent such as (coffee shop, dog park, your kids’ playground, gym, work etc.) commit to engaging in conversation with one person. Something as a simple hello, followed by a question or compliment is a great conversation starter. Practice being approachable, friendly and out of your comfort zone.
3. Get involved: While many sources for connection exist, studies still show the best way to make new friends is still in person. Do a quick search on Facebook events or Eventbrite and find groups that you can share a common interest with and get involved. Even if you can only commit to one live engagement in a month that’s better than zero. Not only will this help you meet others but it can help you reconnect with an area of yourself you lost touch with.4. Be vulnerable and authentic: Whether you are reconnecting with an old friend or contact or making efforts to build a new friendship—being vulnerable and authentic is key to building lasting relationships. If you feel that your inability to be vulnerable is affecting your life, you may consider reaching out to a professional counselor. They are trained to help work through issues and can help you overcome fears and anxiety of opening up.
Be sure to follow Krystal Guerra on Instagram @KrystalGuerra and on Facebook @MsKrystalGuerra
