Friends can have a large influence on a person’s life. Often times, individuals feel they are alone when they only have a small group of people they can call friends. To avoid getting depressed because of your lack of friends, let’s get you in the mindset to make new ones. Gaining new friends in real life can be as easy as being yourself and starting conversations with people you regularly interact with.
So here is the first step. You have to get up and get out. Don’t sit around all day watching T.V. and browsing the web. The only way to meet new people… is to get out and meet new people. If for some reason the people you normally interact with don’t have what you are looking for in a friend, you have quite a few options to go with.
Get a hobby.
Obviously you would want to choose something that gives you the chance to network and be sociable. As long as you can talk at length about the given topic, you will always have likeminded people to talk with.
Join a league.
Bowling leagues, baseball leagues, golf leagues. There are plenty of choices out there. Just pick your favorite one and join up. You get the chance to talk with other teams, as well as fans and teammates. The competition itself will form bonds between teammates, and the competitions can always be used as stories to refer back to when you are around your new friends.
Get involved in clubs
There are a number of social clubs that have the single purpose of bringing together people with something in common. Whether it is a shared language, heritage, or common interest, these are great places to bring likeminded people together. Don’t have anything to offer on the subject? It won’t take you long to study and learn all you need to know.

Now that you have some places to meet people, it is time for you to learn how to act. There are certain ways of communicating that allow for further interactions. When trying to make friends, this is a key aspect to target. Having people to talk to at a certain place, and having friends to call on and go out with are completely different things. You have to put out the vibe, be nice, and watch the magnetic aura of your personality shine.
Introduce yourself
If you’re out in public and you see someone that you may want to get to know more, and potentially become friends with, then just go up to them and introduce yourself. Any public place is a great place to meet new friends. Don’t be shy, because you may find out that you can be gaining a good friend. Conversations can be started out of nothing at all, so please don’t start making excuses about why you can’t approach total strangers. If you stay in that mind set, they will always be just strangers.
Leave a little out
When you first meet someone, don’t tell them your entire life story. Only give information that will seem pertinent at the time like the basics (name, age, hobbies, work, school, etc). Things like you job problems, your family troubles, the fact you’re friendless, homeless or any other less than desirable traits are things that can be left for another time.
Be friendly and smile
People are always more approachable when they smile. Obviously, when trying to gain more friends you need to be friendly. Talk in a light tone, add input where appropriate in a conversation, and be an overall asset to the group. Try not to be a one upper. Everyone has a story about something, but some people seem to have a better story for everything. Let others tell their story, and keep your amped up version for another time.
Use your best attributes to show exactly how fun you can be. Add a little humor to the conversations. Add input that isn’t forthcoming from the rest of the group. Basically you are advertising yourself, so make sure you show your best side. Hopefully with a little luck and a bit of work, you can have all the friends you would ever need.