Build up a community

Social health is bolstered by networks of friends and family members. They are people who support us, give us guidance, and celebrate joyful moments in life. They provide a crucial sense of belonging that is necessary to our overall health.

  • Keep in mind that you do not need to have tons of friends to be happy. Even one or two good friends may be enough to provide you with a strong support system.
  • Try to build networks that meet regularly in person. Taking a class, attending a monthly book club, or joining a local tennis team means you will have a regular, recurring opportunity to make friendships.

Bond with people over common interests

If you are looking to make new friends, then join groups where you have a particular hobby or skill in common. For instance, consider joining a hiking group or a creative writing group.

  • Look online at local Facebook groups or groups on MeetUp to find hobby-based groups.

Volunteer.

Another great way to bolster your social health is to give back to your community. This will help you meet new people while also strengthening your sense of belonging to your local town or city.

  • Volunteering has been shown to have enormous benefits for its participants, especially in increasing their psychological well-being and sense of social integration.

Reach out to existing networks

Perhaps you have a co-worker you've wanted to get to know better. Invite him out for a cup of coffee. If you have a friend you have not spoken to in a few months, go ahead and give her a call or shoot her an email to see how she is doing.

  • Maintaining older friendship networks has been shown to yield significant happiness for people. Happiness, contentment and a sense of social belonging are key ingredients to maintaining your social health.
  • Remember that you don't need to have lots of different friendships in order to have a healthy social life. Maintaining a few quality friendships can have greater benefits -- including a prolonged lifespan -- than only having peripheral friendships with acquaintances.

Initiate invitations to social events

Whether you are trying to make new friendships or revive old ones, consider hosting and organizing events when you can bond socially with others. Invite new friends over to dinner (you can make it a potluck if you don't want to cook for many people). If you don't have space to host dinner, consider having cocktails and appetizers instead.

  • You can also organize very simple events, like going to see a movie or a concert, trying out a new restaurant for brunch or dinner, or grabbing a drink at happy hour.

Say yes

Similarly, do not reject opportunities to meet new people. If you are invited to a party, attend it, even if you do not know anyone else going.

  • Be open to trying new things. If someone invites you to a new restaurant or a festival you've never been to, then go along with it. Even if it is not exactly what you would prefer to do, be flexible for the sake of meeting new people.

Express genuine interest in others

One of the best ways to make friendships is to simply show interest in the other person. Ask them about their hobbies, their current goals or missions, and what are they passionate about.

  • Look at people directly in the eye when you talk to them. Smile and have a friendly, generous manner toward them.
  • Don't dismiss someone just because they seem to different from you at first (i.e. they may have a different political or religious belief system than you). While they might appear to be your polar opposite, they still could be a wonderful, loyal friend to you.