Regardless of age, creed or country of origin, human beings have a tendency to socialize with like-minded individuals. Social instincts have dictated since childhood that we always be on the lookout for good friends. Since most of us lose touch with the friends we made in our childhood and youth, however, building new connections is extremely important.
In fact, there are very few things in the world that can affect our happiness levels and sense of wellbeing the way friendship or its lack does. Apart from giving you company in leisure times, friends can help you make smart lifestyle choices and get you through the most difficult phases of your life. Whenever you feel depressed and pessimistic, your closest loved ones can provide you with the emotional support requisite for uplifting your spirit. Moreover, good friendships are also known to boost physical fitness and increase longevity.
Interactions with the people you like can work wonders for lowering stress and driving motivation, thereby greatly enhancing the quality of your life. Above all, numerous studies have proven that spending quality time with down-to-earth and positive friends promotes general mental health. If you cut ties with the world around and avoid bonding with other people, loneliness will sweep over you pretty fast. This is why you must always put in perpetual effort to expand your social circle instead of remaining cocooned in your own world.
Once you reach your 60s, finding trustworthy friends and nurturing long-lasting relationships with them might seem somewhat challenging at first. We’re here to tell you there’s nothing much to worry about. If you are looking to find friends online and socialize virtually, try joining a popular web-based video chat platform like Paltalk to meet people from different walks of life who share the same views or interests as you. Here are the top 15 tips to make new friends and keep loneliness at bay in your 60s.
- Try to be more open with people
Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing wrong with initiating a conversation by saying ‘Hi’ to the person next door. Being more open is one of the greatest ways to make friends with people you have just met. Share something about yourself, but make sure that you let the other person speak as well to ensure that you are not indulging in a one-way conversation. This will pave the way for robust bonds and help your friendship blossom.
- Overcome the fear of getting judged
Many times, the fear of judgment and what others think about you can prevent you from establishing new friendships. If you see meeting new individuals as something scary, building healthy bonds will be extremely difficult. For making good friends, you must overcome the fear of being judged. Once you put your inhibitions aside and get rid of shyness, you will easily be able to leave a lasting impression on people.
- Look for people with similar interests
Some wise man rightly said that shared passions are key to robust friendships. When it comes to making new friends, you should always look for people with similar interests so that you have an easy way initially to relate to them. Moreover, such friends will introduce you to their acquaintances (who likely also have similar interests) and your social circle will keep growing this way.
- Just be who you are
Whether you realize it or not, being your own self is of paramount importance. Do not ever try to be someone you are not just for the sake of making friends. A fake persona will not take you anywhere. Keep it in mind that real friends will never detest you for being your true self. In fact, they will wholeheartedly accept you the way you are.
- Be truthful and transparent
People are likely to trust you more if you are an honest individual. Even if your past was grim and unsavory, you should never lie about it. Relationships that are based on lies and deceit tend to last only for a short period of time. Being truthful and transparent will instantly make it easier for you to nurture strong bonds.
- Be supportive
If you are someone who genuinely supports people in times of hardship, cultivating authentic friendships will be a cakewalk for you. Ask your newfound friend whether he/she is in need of some help and do what you can to show that you truly care for them. Treat your buddies with generosity and help them unconditionally without expecting anything in return to strengthen the roots of your bond.
- Reach out to old acquaintances
It is always a good idea to reach out to old acquaintances given that at some point in time, they were an important part of your life. In the past, it was quite difficult to reconnect with old friends. Owing to the arrival of technology, though, there are several ways to remain connected in the present era, with social media being one of them. If you happen to be lucky enough to track an old buddy down, make sure that you revisit treasured memories of old times with your past friends to evoke nostalgia and give a powerful boost to social connectedness in the blink of an eye.
- Participate in charitable giving
Giving charity to someone who is in need is indeed one of the best things you can do in your life. You can visit charity events in your vicinity and contribute to the betterment of the society as it will help you get together with people who hold similar perspectives. There are also plenty of ways to get involved online and still stay social. In addition to raising your happiness quotient and boosting confidence levels, taking part in charitable giving will create a sense of satisfaction within you.
- Attend workshops and conferences
Finding friends in old age can be a herculean task if you do not know where to start. The best thing to do is to attend workshops and conferences that interest you as there are high chances that you will come across people in such places who are like you. Similarly, if you are a passionate reader, visit a book club where you will find plenty of learned people with whom you can share your opinions.
- Go for morning walks in a nearby park
Frequented by people of all age groups, community parks are always buzzing with activity. Consistently going for a short walk in a park situated near you will not only help you remain healthy but also will allow you to meet new people. You never know when you might find a new friend strolling through the park.
- Consider owning a pet
Owning a pet is another great step that you can take for meeting lively individuals. A pet can give you the much-needed company and help keep lonely feelings at bay. Pets like dogs can help you meet new people and cultivate deeper friendships with them as well. Whenever you take your beloved dog out for a walk, you can interact with other pet owners and see whether there is a possibility to make friends.
- Always keep a smile on your face
If you are one of those people who always have a big smile on their face, making new friends should not be an uphill task for you. People are more likely to interact with individuals whom they find pleasing and approachable. So while you are on the lookout for some good friends, see to it that you have a welcoming and appealing personality.
- Consistently stay in touch
It is extremely important to realize that maintaining consistency in a friendship is key to making the bond stronger and deepening your relationship with the other person. The more time you spend with your favorite people, the more you will get to know about their way of life, likes, passions, etc. Do not miss any opportunity to socialize as long-term friendships are not built in a single day.
- Become tech-savvy
Now that there are so many smart devices available on the market, it is time for you to become tech-savvy to reach out to multitudes of people who could be your friends in the near future. Try joining a class at a learning center or library. You must remain alert while using technology to build new connections as the internet is full of scammers nowadays. A little bit of caution will help you avoid becoming a victim of fraud while still learning the basics to connect with more people.
- Find opportunities online to make new connections
Once you own and understand modern technological devices, you should start looking for opportunities online to make new friends. With millions of people accessible on the internet, finding such opportunities will be easy. Moreover, an online public social chat platform like Paltalk can help you add more people to your friend circle faster (if that’s what you want).
What are some of the most notable features offered by Paltalk?
Renowned as an innovative leader in the online video chat industry for more than two decades, Paltalk caters to the needs of millions of individuals and helps them succeed in their quest to connect with new friends from different corners of the world. Although the platform offers a wide range of applications and services, you should only utilize those which take you closer to your goals of developing cordial relations with people. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most notable features offered by Paltalk that make it a video chat platform worth visiting.
Easy-to-use interface – The best part about Paltalk is that it features a very user-friendly interface so that even those people who are not tech-savvy can use the services with ease and convenience. Once you join the community for fostering connections with new friends, getting acquainted with the platform’s interface and different features will only take a moment.
Support for a variety of languages – Taking into consideration the linguistic diversity around the globe, language barriers are undoubtedly a big problem for people who belong to different regions and only speak in their local tongue. Since everyone cannot converse fluently in English, Paltalk offers support for multiple languages to facilitate easy communication between users 24/7.
Accessible on all modern devices – People have now started accessing the internet via Android and iOS mobile devices more often than ever owing to their portability. Paltalk services are accessible on all modern technological devices such as smartphones, tablets, desktops, and Irrespective of which device you use, all that you have to do is to install the application and you are set to socialize.
Thousands of public chat rooms – It is a known fact that no two individuals can have the same passions and interests. Paltalk gives its users the golden opportunity to make a selection from thousands of public chat rooms based on their areas of interest. From instant text messaging to voice chat, you can use the platform’s services to communicate with like-minded users.
Regular social interaction is vital to achieve a happy state of mind and ensure overall wellbeing, especially when you are in your 60s. Without a doubt, good friendships cultivate positivity and hence, make life much easier. And as you swap stories of the good old days and get to know a person better, your bond of friendship further strengthens with the passage of time. Even if your new friends live miles away, you can still get in touch and develop a fulfilling companionship with them thanks to the modern-day innovations in the technological landscape. Remember the wise words of the highly renowned classical Greek philosopher, namely Socrates – “Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant”.
