When we were kids, didn't making friends seem so incredibly easy? For adults, it doesn't always seem to come as effortlessly — especially in the age of quarantine and lockdowns.
We've rounded up some of the best redditor responses. Check them out below (no bar tab included):
1."Volunteering is a great way to make friends as an adult.
2."Studies have shown that literally the way to make a friend is basically just to spend time with someone — that's why you make so many friends when you're younger.
3."You don't need to pretend you are drinking alcohol. We have sober friends who regularly join us for the first half of the night and leave when people start getting drunk.
4."You can be friendly and smiley and strike up a bit of conversation, and from that you build up a bit of rapport. I made friends by asking a couple of the girls if they'd like to grab a coffee after class, and then it became a weekly thing."
5."Hobbies are the key; whatever you like doing, find a group and just keep showing up."
6."I'm a travel nurse, and I travel to different cities for work. I don't try too hard to make real friends, but I consistently show up ready to be engaging and positive.
7."You see someone doing something you do or like to do or are curious, hit 'em with a compliment and then with a follow-up question.
8."Active sports. My weekly bicycle ride is usually about 30 people. It's easy and natural to make friends."
9."If you're around or in a city, walking a dog is the best conversation starter."
10."I'm part of a book club. We meet online every month after reading a book and talk about it."
11."Go to a repeating class at a gym or yoga studio."
12."Take a CPR class and talk to the people there."
13."For people who don’t drink, just drink a soda. As long as you have something in your hand, whatever."
14."At work, never eat lunch alone, and organize hangouts outside the office."
15."If you have a local drama or musical society, I'd recommend joining it. You don't even have to be onstage. Stagehands, set painters, etc., are always welcome."
16."In my experience, adults don't want friends. They want activity partners.
17."I became a Girl Scout leader and have become friends with some of the other leaders and some of the parents from my troop."
18."If you like doing things with your hands, they usually have themed events and classes. That's where I made my current friends when I moved to a new city."
19."Adults don’t care if you drink. Now, many adults do enjoy drinking, but actual adults don’t really care if you just wanna hang out."
20."You can make friends out of potatoes. Use a big one for the body, a small one for the head, and long oval ones for the arms and legs."
What's your best advice on how to make friends when you don't like to drink? Share your tips in the comments below!
