How to make new friends in your 30s

This post is dedicated to those looking to make new friends in your 30s AND to the incredible women I’ve met during my time in Australia. You know who you are. =)

As I get older I’m finding it more and more difficult to make new friends in your 30s. It’s tricky when all your good friends have either moved away or are still back home. Can you relate?

By the time you hit your late 20s and 30s, everyone else has formed their core group, if you’ve moved into a new city or suburb, not having a close knit group of friends can feel a little lonely. I can only imagine what it’s like for singles looking for a wing woman. It’s not just romantic relationships we crave, it’s the platonic ones too – the people you call when you just need a little girl time or when you just need a 10 second vent about the day you had at work. Sometimes you just need a woman’s perspective.

If you’re looking for ways to make new friends in your 30s, here are a few ideas:

Get to know other teams at work

If you work at a big company, try to organise work socials. It could be in the form of a team sport or just to check out the new pub around the corner. Chances are you may attract people from teams you don’t work with on a daily basis.

Dance

I’m not just talking about your local Zumba class. Opt for dance genres that host social dances. Apart from weekly classes, most dance groups often have social parties. It’s like your high school dance without the awkwardness. Not only is it a great way to meet potential matches, it’s also a good way to make girlfriends who share common interest.

Learn something

I’ve met some of the most inspiring and ambitious women through learning something new. Whether it’s business school or studying relationship psychology, I’ve easily met women with like-minded goals and women who inspire me to be better, to achieve more, to ask for more. The idea is to take a class or short course with some consistency so there is time to build a rapport i.e. it’s harder to make friends at a one off knitting workshops than it is an 8 week yoga course.

Host a party

There’s a good chance that the few girlfriends you know will have other girlfriends you don’t know. Host a party where each person needs to bring a friend. With friend ‘referrals’, you’re much more likely to find someone with similar interest.

Facebook groups

It may sound random but there’ve been times where I’ve really hit it off with someone in a Facebook group. It was a group about building your business. One friend caught my eye with her tenacity and ambition. Soon enough, replies on public posts turned into Facebook messages, messages turned into phone calls and phone calls led to meeting in real life. This was about 3 years ago, we’re still friends.

As I’ve moved into another life stage I’ve found it a little lonely and challenging to make new friends. Let’s be honest, by the time you get to your 30s, you know what you’re looking for in the people you share your time with. There’s less to choose from. But when you meet the golden gems, you’ll also know when to hold on to them.

When was the last time you made a really good friend? Where did you meet her?

Photo by Clarisse Meyer on Unsplash