Irene S Levine, the author of Best Friends Forever, is a psychologist and the woman behind the blog The Friendship Doctor. If you want to meet new people, why not combine it with helping others. Photograph: dmphoto/Getty Images Be helpful Volunteering to help others, perhaps by getting their shopping, can be a good way to meet people. “But once we start talking about how this is a basic human need, and how we all struggle with feeling lonely, this year more than any, then this will reduce.” “Often, we still feel shame or stigma if we say we are feeling lonely or need social connection,” she says. Working out what you are nervous about in specific terms will help, because then you can tackle it at the source.” She also says it is good to recognise the importance of social interactions.
This, she says, “may be because you fear being rejected or judged. She points out that, after such a long time away from other people, you might be filled with uncharacteristic trepidation. Get over your nervesĭr Radha Modgil is the resident medical expert for Radio 1’s Life Hacks show. “If you’re worried about running out of things to say, you could make plans to watch or read something separately and then discuss it when you speak next,” he says. Stephen Buckley, the head of information at the mental health charity Mind, suggests “making time in your daily routine to catch up with loved ones via phone or video call” if possible.
You are probably seeing your acquaintances less, but it is much easier to maintain an old friendship than to start a new one. I have rounded up a collection of doctors and other experts to present you with a definitive guide to broadening your social circle in the current situation.īefore you attempt to make new friends, it is important to shore up the friendships you already have. We might want to go out and make friends again. When mingling is allowed again, there is a good chance we will discover that our social skills have disappeared. We have variously been told to stay inside, stick to our household bubbles and, on special occasions, to meet up with no more than five people. I f nothing else, 2020 has been a year of intense social contraction.
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