As you progress to later adulthood, making new friends becomes more difficult- especially after you reach retirement. You probably made a lot of new connections every time you got a new job, moved, or even when your kids started going to school and getting involved in various activities. However, it was hard to develop and maintain those connections because your family and career were your top priorities. While it takes more intentionality to make new friends after retirement, it is very important and can be highly rewarding.
If you’re retired or nearing retirement, consider relocating to central Florida to Solivita Living. We are a real estate company based in Kissimmee, Florida, specializing in 55+ communities at Four Seasons at Orlando, Del Webb, Trilogy, and Solivita. We have a variety of amenities that will keep you active and help you make connections within the community.
In this article, we’ll offer 7 ways to make friends in retirement.
7 Ways to Make Friends in Retirement
The older you get, the harder it is to make friends because one of the most common ways to connect with people is through work. Here are 7 ways that you can connect with others and make friends after retirement.
1. Determine the activities you enjoy and find others who share that interest
One of the characteristics of friendship is common interests. Therefore, if you want to make friends after you retire, you should find others who enjoy doing the same things you do.
- Join a club
- Adopt a dog
- Volunteer
- Get a part-time job
2. Get in touch with your old friends
Perhaps you already know some people who you enjoy spending time with, but over the years you’ve lost touch, or you just don’t see them regularly. This is the time to reach out to them and reconnect. Share some old photos and memories- and make plans to meet up.
3. Spend time developing/maintaining friends
In order to develop and maintain friendships, you must be willing to invest the time and effort. Research shows that it takes 40 to 60 hours to form a casual friendship, 80 to 100 to turn a casual friendship into a good one, and 200+ hours to become best friends.
4. Get together on a regular basis
One of the reasons joining a club can help you make friends is because they follow a regular meeting schedule. If you do meet someone that you’d like to spend time with, consider getting together with them on a regular basis: coffee on Sunday, dinner once a week or every other week, hiking on Tuesdays, etc. Whatever interest the two of you share, do that regularly.
5. Consider using an app to meet people
While it’s true that it’s possible to meet people in real life, you may also want to consider going online. There are several apps that were created to help you meet new friends, not just romantic partners. Basically, you will be presented with a profile to review and if you think you might want to meet them, you swipe right. If you don’t think that you would be a good match, swipe left.
Some of these apps include:
- NextDoor
- BumbleBFF
- Friender
- Meetup
Be sure to use caution and stay safe if you decide to meet people online and potentially meet up with them in person.
6. Don’t give up
Making new friends is a lot like finding a romantic partner. You must be willing to invest time and effort into the process. You will most likely meet a lot of people along the way that you just don’t connect with- but eventually, you’ll meet some that you do.
7. You must be a good friend too
It’s important to keep in mind that friendship is a two-way street. In order to make new friends, you must learn to be a good friend. Some of the traits of being a good friend are as follows:
- Honest
- Trustworthy
- Loyal
- Caring
- Empathetic
- Fun
- Congenial
Conclusion
When you’re working or still have children at home, you’re more naturally placed in areas where you can make friends. However, as your children grow up, they are no longer involved in activities, so you don’t meet people as often. Then, once you retire, you’re not naturally placed in locations that allow you to interact with people as much- so it can be more challenging to make friends. However, these tips can help you make friends in retirement.
One of the best ways to stay active and involved in activities is to move to a senior living community, such as Solivita Living. We are a real estate agency located in central Florida specializing in 55+ communities. We have a variety of amenities, such as tennis courts, pickleball, swimming pools, and so much more. You will find that it’s easy to meet people who share your interests and build friendships from there.