How To Make Friends In Your Area

Friendships are important to overall happiness. Friends allow you to feel accepted, are people you can confide in and offer support during stressful times. Having friends may boost your immunity and can even help you live longer, according to The Happiness Project. If you are new to your area, or if you have had trouble making friends in the past, you need to make a special effort to meet people. The Better Health Channel suggests not expecting instant results, but instead taking small steps when trying to make new friends.

Step 1

Join a club. Find a club, group, team or volunteer organization that centers around one of your hobbies or interests, and sign up. Attend the meetings and meet others who have similar interests. If you cannot find a group that interests you, start your own.

Step 2

Smile. The Happiness Project reports that people who smile seem friendlier than those who don't. Make an effort to smile when talking to others.

Step 3

Say nice things. Compliment others and also slip in a nice word about someone else when appropriate. Refuse to partake in gossip. People understand that if you are gossiping about others, you may gossip about them next.

Step 4

Ask questions. Talk about yourself a bit, then ask the other person questions about himself. This helps you to know what the two of you have in common, and also shows your new acquaintance that you are interested in him.

Step 5

Be hospitable. Invite your new friend to your home for a cup of tea or for lunch. Karen Ehman, author of "A Life That Says Welcome," stresses that inviting others into your home makes them feel special and pampered. She says that as long as your home is relatively uncluttered and sanitary, you should not worry about decor or the size of your home.

Step 6

Accept the hospitality offered by others. If you are invited to a party or to someone's house for dinner, make an effort to attend. If the date suggested is not feasible for you, suggest another time to get together.

Step 7

Stay out of chat rooms if you tend to use them too much for social stimulation. PowerToChange.com suggests looking for friends in "real life," and avoiding the use of instant messengers to talk to people who do not live in your area, especially if the time you spend on these services is taking the place of in-the-flesh interactions.

Tips and Warnings

According to the Better Health Channel, you can learn social skills if you are having trouble making and keeping friends. Consult a therapist who specializes in helping people with relationship problems, if you believe that you lack the ability to make friends.