As we grow, move, and become busier, it can become more and more challenging to start new adult friendships. How do extremely busy, grown-up, women build their tribe?
Do not fear! There is hope for making new and meaningful friendships even in the busiest seasons of life. Check out these four ways to make friends as an adult.
As an entrepreneur who works from home 98% of the time, and a super-busy mom (and political wife) who often feels overscheduled and overwhelmed, going out and meeting new people usually takes the back burner to catching up on sleep (or laundry). #glamorous
1. Meet your neighbours
There have been exceptional people EVERYWHERE my husband, and I have lived–even the box in the sky (aka condo) where I am typing this. Sarah and I first met in an elevator. She had a puppy in her purse.
It turns out that we both had small dogs and lived on the same floor in the building. It gets better; she is single, loves kids, and also self-employed.
We now hang out all the time, she helps me stay alive, and I feed her. I get to live vicariously through her untethered soul, and she gets to play with my kid and eat home-cooked meals.
I could go on and on about all the fantastic things she brings to my life but for brevity’s sake, let’s say that Sarah puts the heart in condo living and makes it feel like a community. #blessed
Moral of the story: There are always amazing people (sometimes quite literally) outside your door. You just have to be open to meeting them–so put on a smile next time you get in an elevator. If that’s not your thing check out these other ways to make friends as an adult.
2. Funny places
I met Brooklyn in a hotel bar in Ottawa.
Yes, this happened for real–I was waiting for my husband to finish up a meeting. It turns out that not only did we have a ton of mutual friends (who later joined us for a drink); the next day, we were both flying to the same conference a few provinces away, AND she was also moving down the street from me in Toronto (five hours away from where she currently lived) a few weeks later.
Moral of the story: Kismet is real. I am not saying that you should start hanging out at hotel bars (in fact I would strongly advise against it) but trust the universe and bizarre things like this happen.
3. Social media
One March, near International Women’s Day, I started feeling the burning desire to expand my circle of kick-butt ladies. That week, if a lady popped up on my suggested friend list on FaceBook and we had 50 or more mutual friends, I sent them a friend request.
One of the fantastic people who accepted my friend request was Marissa. It turns out that our husbands had worked together for the last few years, but we didn’t connect the dots because neither of us had the same last names as our spouses. We decided to have coffee the next day.
Yes, we live in the same part of the city and have kids the same age, but what really cemented our friendship was that she made me laugh so hard on our first coffee date that I snorted. For real.
Moral of the story: Social media is meant to be social. Don’t be afraid to (safely) meet people (in a public place).
4. An unsuspecting hobby/side hustle
I had great skin as a teen, but after I had my daughter at the age of 30, I broke out with what I like to call “sexy mom acne.”
After trying a lot of expensive products that didn’t work, I tried something that had a 60-day money-back guarantee only because of the guarantee. Low and behold, it worked!
My friends noticed and wanted some too, so I decided to link arms with the company.
Mariko also sells this magical skincare as a side hustle. We met at an event and shared a cab home because after we started chatting, we learned that we lived in the same general direction and loved politics.
Mariko is now my power partner and helps me strategise, and keeps me accountable to my goals. She is also my go-to person for a kick in the butt.
I didn’t just make one amazing friend through this company. I now have a network of amazing people that I have bonded with all over North America!
If you are missing something from your life, maybe you too need a community of like-minded women in your life – try out one of these four ways to make friends as an adult.
Moral of the story: Say yes, to new opportunities! You never know the sisterhood that awaits!
