Even the most outgoing, bubbly, extroverted person can struggle when it comes to finding a new friendship group as an adult.
I would know. Because I am that outgoing, bubbly, extrovert. And I have lived in 6 different countries in the last 3 years. So making new friends and friendship groups has become a norm for me.
Moving locations might not be the only reason you want to find a new friendship group. You may have simply outgrown your old friendship group. People go their separate ways and finding new friends is part of life.
On the flip side to this, my boyfriend is one of those people that still has the same friends from when he was 4 years old. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little envious. Because it’s not just one or two, there is an entire group of them!
But I’ve done my research and this actually isn’t the norm. With the example of my boyfriend, most of them just chose to all stay in the same village.
There’s nothing wrong with that but it certainly makes maintaining friendship groups a little easier. Even the friends that did leave for University, came back to the village and set up a life.
Whatever your reason for wanting to find a new friend group you’ve come to the right place. Here are my top recommendations on how to find a new friend group – as an adult!
Online Groups
Meeting people and having online friends is easy, so this is a great place to start and dip your toe in.
Of course, please use your common sense and don’t go meeting up with a random individual from an online chat room at a park at night.
Where to start with online groups to avoid those creepy chat rooms?
Check out local Facebook groups, Community and networking groups. You’d be surprised how many there are.
For example, I’m part of Founder’s Social which is a whatsapp group for Female Founders. I’m also part of a slack channel for anyone who’s in marketing. They have regular meet ups in London and plenty of online Zoom get togethers.
It’s the perfect opportunity for me to meet new people with literally pressure because we’re all doing something similar.
And I’ve seen other groups too for solo Founders, tech people and local area community stuff. You just need to do your research to find the right one for you.
Once you have then all you need to do is join and introduce yourself. But this is not going to come easy, even online, you have to make an effort.
Engage with other people, answer and ask questions. There are probably people in the group you’ve joined in the exact same position as you looking to meet people and make new friends.
When the timing is right, arrange a meet up or join an already agreed get together and start making connections.
And maybe just one friend is enough. But you’re on this post, wanting to know how to find a new friendship group. Well, why not create your own friendship group?
You don’t stop at one friend, and you now have a formula so you can repeat this process.
IRL - Eeeek!
I KNOW this is what you’re thinking… How the f*ck do I make new friends IN. REAL. LIFE???
I’ll be straight with you, it’s not easy. And that’s why a lot of people don’t bother to make new friends.
It requires confidence, guts and putting yourself out there. So here’s what I recommend you do to help yourself BEFORE you even think about talking to someone new.
Firstly, get comfortable with being on your own and doing things on your own. And I’m not talking about going out for a leisurely stroll, sorry!
Go to the cinema. Have dinner. Do a weekend away. On your own. Why?
Because you’ll soon start to realise that being comfortable doing things by yourself is like having a superpower.
We love it so much we even wrote a whole post about it: Why Spending Time Alone Is The Ultimate Flex.
And the superpower is Empowerment.
By doing things on your own it helps build your confidence. And you need a lot of that to talk to someone new and invite them to spend time with you. Out of the blue.
It’s also important to be happy and content in your own company and not rely on having friends to make you happy. Friends should be an added bonus to your life, not your purpose.
Once you’ve nailed doing things on your own, it’s time to be bold again (sorry!), put yourself out there and start approaching people.
Where to start with making new friends? Go to the places you like to go to. That way, you already have something in common and it’s an environment you’ll feel comfortable in.
Another great option is co-working spaces. There are usually people there that are already open to meeting new people and making new friends. That’s often why they go to co-working spaces.
And of course, you can start a new hobby. Because this is honestly one of the EASIEST ways to make friends and even find a new friendship group- as an adult.
Building a new friendship group as an adult can feel daunting, but it’s absolutely possible and can even be fun if you take it step-by-step.
The key is to be proactive—whether that means engaging in online groups, joining in-person meet ups, or putting yourself out there at co-working spaces or hobby classes.
It might take time, but remember, the journey is worth it. Having friends who resonate with where you are in life can bring incredible joy and support.
So, don’t be afraid to try new things and meet new people. Friendships, like all relationships, require effort, but the connections you build will make all the difference.
Sign up for our newsletter to become a part of the Suddenly Thirty community - stay up to date on new posts and community events!