5 Ways To Become More Social

Photo by Zachary Nelson on Unsplash

Making friends is not as difficult as some people think it is. Although introverts usually find it much more difficult to socialize, which is absolutely normal for them, they can actually still have a good number of friends depending on the amount of effort and compromise they are willing to put in.

Meeting new people is actually a very great and rewarding experience, but it requires some amount of effort and patience to start seeing results.

Here are 5 things to do that’ll help you to be more social 👇

Read: How to be consistent in anything

1. Think about the kind of people you’d like to meet.

Where would you like to meet them? It could be in church, school, your place of work, or anywhere at all. For example, if you’d like to make new friends in church, it means you have more preference for friends who share your kind of faith.

Also think about what you like in your current/previous friends and apply it to what you’d want in the people you’d like to make friends with. Would you like them to have similar hobbies with you?

Would you like them to be serious minded/playful or you’d like them to possess both?

Would you like them to have similar interests as you? (Note that having similar interests doesn’t necessarily mean you must get along well; making friends with people who are interested in other things can also increase your knowledge).

Also, would you like them to adhere strictly to rules and regulations or you’d like them to break some of those rules? (Note that breaking rules and regulations doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll disrupt law and order; these kind of people usually don’t like to be confined or restricted to the norm but they rather create new ideas and innovations).

2. Be approachable.

 Don’t keep a straight or ‘too serious’ face rather wear a smile on your face (you don’t necessarily have to open your teeth everywhere you go; a simple lit up face will do); look decent and well groomed, this is about giving a good impression of yourself. Remember first impression matters. Also try to look neat and wear good clothes that will make you look responsible. Wearing clothes that reveal sensitive areas of your body, and wearing transparent clothes will only repel potential ‘good friends’.

Dress the way you want to be addressed. Your body language should be open and inviting, this shows to people that you’re willing to be friends with them. Also, you should exude an aura of positivity and self confidence as people are more likely to be around those who make them happy.

Read: You have a choice

3. Be yourself.

Have a style that makes you still be yourself, don’t try to copy others. Many people think that by following the trend they’ll eventually belong, No, that’s not always the case. In fact you shouldn’t seek to belong but should rather seek to attract responsible individuals into your life. Remember it’s what attracts people that keeps them. So if you faked your personality to attract a person, you’ll  have to keep faking it to keep them and that’s hard work because you’ll eventually get tired and one day your true self will be revealed. When you stay true to whom you really are, that will naturally filter true friends from fake friends.

4. Keep in touch with old friends

Relationships become better with time and requires effort to maintain. This helps you know better what you value in friendships and the types you enjoy. It also helps you to have the knowledge to develop your potential friendships into what you’d like them to be. Sometimes, old friends also help to introduce you to new friends. Except you want to completely cut off someone from your life due to personal reasons, do not put off those who are still in good terms with you. A phone call or visit once in a while (once in two weeks or once a month or once in two months, as decided by you) will help maintain your relationship with that person.

Read: 3 simple ways to discover your passion

5. Don’t be discouraged by rejection. 

Rejections are inevitable and so should be expected. Being turned down by someone doesn’t mean you’re not good enough, or that it was entirely your fault. Sometimes it could be that you and that person were not compatible. Rejections usually redirect us to something better.

A few good friends are better than large number of acquaintances. Quality over quantity. Instead of giving up, think of better ways of approaching people and learn from your past mistakes. When you get rejected, it only shows that person isn’t worth your time and effort (except you decide to keep at it until the person gives in). You’re not perfect and it only takes a mature mind to know that.