How To Make Friends as a Introvert

How are you supposed to make friends when socializing seems scary?

As an introvert, making friends can be challenging or even seem scary. You likely prefer spending time alone or hanging out in small groups of close friends. You might feel like you have a shallow social battery and that large in-person social events are overwhelming. However, that doesn’t mean it is impossible for introverts to make friends. In fact, they may have less friends, but sometimes that also means they have stronger and closer connections with their smaller circle. With a little effort and some strategies in place, introverts can smoothly navigate making new friends and enjoying social interaction.

Quick and easy tips to make socializing more enjoyable:

Finding friends with similar interests is an instant de-stressor. Joining clubs or finding groups of people with similar interests is a great way to cut a lot of “new friend stress” out, because you don’t need to worry about forcing a conversation about the weather. Whether it’s a gaming community, a book club, or a sports group, finding other people who share your interests can help you connect and socialize with those who share your passions. Yubo makes finding friends with similar interests easy by using the Tags feature. You can quickly find plenty of people with the same interests as you, even down to your favorite TV show or musician. It is important to be open-minded in general, but it is especially important when you are making new friends. And you never know, the person you are interacting with might also be an introvert, which could be another level to relate with one another on.

You might need to step out of your comfort zone and initiate conversations you don’t know well. Doing this in person can be stressful, which is why “breaking the ice” online can be far less stressful and can allow you to be a free-er version of yourself. Social media is a great tool for introverts looking to make new friends. Plus, there are plenty of online communities and forums full of people with similar interests and views. It is a great place for people to showcase their interests and creations without face-to-face interactions that might feel too overwhelming. Social media provides a shortcut to having more meaningful conversations, and even developing deeper connections than might be possible in person. It is also a great way to stay in touch with friends you already have. Maybe you are traveling, moved, or just don’t feel like seeing people in person.

Of course, it's important to be cautious when using social media to make friends. It's a good idea to stick to positive, well-established online communities, and to avoid sharing personal information with people you don't know well.  On Yubo, all users are age-verified, so you can feel more confident that the people you are speaking with are actually who they say they are. Authenticity is key to making and maintaining friendships. It is important to be yourself and not try to be someone you are not in order to “fit in” or “impress” others. Genuine interactions create genuine relationships that last a lifetime.

Being authentic can be scary, especially for introverts. Being a true version of yourself requires confidence, which can be hard to come by when you have all of the internet to compare yourself to.

Practicing self-acceptance is a great way to understand yourself better and to be more confident in who you are. Recognize your strengths and flaws and take the time to understand them. If there is a part of yourself that you want to change for the better, set some realistic and attainable goals. For example, if you are an introvert, setting the goal of being an extrovert is unfair, because it clashes with who you are. However, you can set the goal of putting yourself out there more and taking the steps to start conversations. It may be challenging at first, but with practice, everything becomes easier and more natural. You can play up your strengths with ease, so don’t forget to use those. There are also some practices you can easily implement to quickly boost your self confidence, like: learning new skills, exercising, eating better, reading, becoming well-versed in a certain topic, and getting enough sleep. These things may seem unrelated, but they can greatly increase your self-confidence. With more confidence, you will have an easier time pushing through the discomforts that being an introvert can trigger.

Humans are social beings and today there are so many avenues to forge friendships that it can feel overwhelming. Rest assured, it is not about how many friends you have – having good ones is what truly matters. Remember, building friendships takes time. They should never be forced, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen right away or if it takes a few tries to find someone you really connect with. Keep putting yourself out there and soon enough you’ll have a network of new friends and the rest will be history.