Making Friends After Retirement Doesn’t Have to Be Hard!
When we’re children, it’s easy to make friends. All you need is something in common, and you’re instantly best friends! In adulthood, it’s a little more challenging, but through work, hobbies, and just living in the same neighborhood, we still manage to find friends. Once we retire, though, the challenge escalates one more notch. Once work no longer connects us with the outside world, it’s harder to meet people. If you add to that a move to a new community, it gets even harder, and retired people often find it challenging to find a social group. Fortunately, it is still possible to make new friends at any age, and it still just depends on finding common ground. Here, we offer some tips on making friends after retirement.
- Keep learning new things. Have you always wanted to learn something? It could be pottery, jewelry making, ballroom dancing, or gardening, but the point is to find a class and get started. Learning something together is a good way to connect with others, and when everyone is a beginner, it’s easy to bond over feeling unsure and awkward. You may come away from the class with a new friend, but even if you don’t, you’ll come out of it with a new hobby!
- Find a club to join. Just like with a class, joining a club connects you to people with common interests. If there is something you’re interested in, there is probably a club you can find to explore it.
- Connect with old friends. With the internet and social media, it’s easier than ever to find people you used to know but haven’t spoken to in years. Old friends have a shared history that makes an excellent foundation for building new friendships.
- Be a familiar face. Take a daily walk in your neighborhood and you’re likely to see the same people frequently. You’ll find ways to make small talk, and this can lead to friendship. If you live in an apartment or your neighborhood is not walkable, consider reading a book in the lobby. When people see you regularly, they’re likely to engage with you.
- Make a point to meet people. Set a goal for yourself, and find ways to meet new people. Greet people every day, start a conversation with a stranger, or set some other small daily goal with the intent of initiating friendly exchanges with other people. Over time, these casual interactions can develop into friendships.
- Be a party person. Throw a dinner party or a backyard barbeque and invite your neighbors, or go to parties when you’re invited. If you’re the host, make sure to have activities available, whether they’re lawn games, or board games that require teaming up. If you’re invited to a party, especially a retirement party, do your best to attend; retirement parties are great for meeting other people with newfound time on their hands.
- Move to an active adult community. When you move to a 55-plus community, you’ll be amazed at how many opportunities are available to meet new people. Active adult communities offer amenities and activities that will make it easy to meet your new best friend.
When you’re ready to find a luxurious active adult community, consider Larkspur at Creekside. A family-owned and managed 55-plus community, we offer resort-style apartments and cottages in New Braunfels, Texas, with an emphasis on active living. We give our residents the chance to transition from the responsibilities and burdens of home ownership to a lifestyle of convenience and luxury, full of new friends, new activities, and new adventures. To learn more about life at Larkspur at Creekside, call 830-625-2277, or contact us through our website.