7 Outrageously Excellent Ways to Find New Friends ...

It's easy to find new friends via your job. Just because you work with someone doesn't mean you're going to like them, but the office can provide numerous opportunities to make new friends. And the bigger the firm, the more people to meet! Try chatting to colleagues, people in different departments, going to organised events, classes … anything that the firm offers in the way of leisure.

Take the chance to have a chat whenever you can. Some people won't respond, but if you can get a conversation going you may find that you have things in common. That may lead to suggestions of a coffee, meeting at a class or going to the gym. Anything! You'll never know who could have been a friend if you don't get chatting to them.

It's amazing how easy it is to find new friends when you've got a pet. I don't own a dog myself, but I hear that there is great camaraderie among dog owners. Many report that walking their dog is a highly sociable activity. So if you don't have a dog of your own, offer to walk a friend's, foster or volunteer as a walker with the local shelter. You'll find a whole new world opening up to you.

Another good way of expanding your social network in real life is by getting friends to introduce you to their friends. Each friend of yours can potentially lead you to dozens of other people, and each of those to even more individuals. If you meet your friends' friends at gatherings, make the effort to chat to as many of them as possible. You could soon become part of the group, or find that you have interests in common.

A really brilliant way to find new friends is to help other people out. By doing voluntary work, you build up your circle of acquaintances; if even one or two of those turn into friends, you've not only done some good, but done yourself a favour as well. Volunteering is for people of all ages, not just retired folk with time on their hands, so you are bound to met people of your own age group (and may even make friends with older or younger people).

Do you even know your neighbours' names? Get chatting to them – there's always a reason you can find, such as asking if they can recommend a good workman or admiring their garden. If you both have young children, both generations can find new friends!

In the same way that you can meet a partner online, it's also possible to make great friends via the internet. That's exactly how I got to know my three dearest friends; first we met on forums, then later met up in real life. If it wasn't for the internet, I would not have these fantastic people in my life.

It might seem difficult to find new friends these days, when we move away from our home town, and when the friends you do have get married or have families, and don't have time to go out any more. Try some of these methods to find new friends, and find yourself with so many new friends that your social diary will be packed! What's the strangest way that you've made a new friend? And if you have any other tips on how to find new friends, please share!

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