5 Simple Tips To Make Friends
You have opportunities to make friends at every stage of your life, so being able to make friends easily is a helpful skill to develop. Hopefully these 5 simple tips will help you:
Image Credit You shouldn’t have to change who you are to make friends; trying to be someone else all the time is exhausting! Just be yourself and let others see the real you.
A good friend will like you for who you are, and if they don’t, then they are not the type of friend that you want to have.
Remember, if possible use open and friendly body language, like smiling, relaxing your shoulders and looking people in the eye, rather than hiding your face and looking down, as this will show others that you are friendly and approachable.
Image Credit Sometimes, meeting people can be difficult.
Try new hobbies or interests that get you out and about, helping you meet new people. This could involve volunteering locally, or joining a club at school or outside of school.
Image Credit Even simply saying ‘hello’ is a great way to start a conversation with someone.
You could also try conversation starters, such as giving a compliment. For example, ‘I love your jacket, where’s it from?’
Try and keep the conversation going by asking open questions (those which invite people to say more than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’) as this will help you find out a bit more about the other person.
Image Credit From talking to someone, you may find out that you have similar interests or hobbies.
Using this can help build a friendship as you have something in common that you can discuss or do together.
Image Credit Friendships take time and effort, but a good friendship will be worth the effort.
Showing willingness to stay in touch will help build upon the friendship. You can also use this to get to know them better or arrange to meet up and do something.
how to get help
If you have any more questions on this area or would like to speak to somebody about this topic, have a look at the links or search for your local services in the blue box below. Alternatively you can always contact your school nurse.
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Remember: Making new friends can be difficult and sometimes results in rejection. When this happens, it doesn’t mean that it’s your fault or that you are a bad friend, it could simply be that that person was having a bad day or has different interests to you.
Don’t let this put you off making new friends, even if you had a bad experience, as not everyone will be like this.
Find help in your local area
Find help in your local area
Find out what services are available to you in your area. Remember your school nurse is always there to give you confidential help and support.
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TEXT YOUR SCHOOL NURSE
You can always contact your school nurse by visiting them in school. Or alternatively you can text them on our mobile messaging service.
The text messaging working hours are Monday to Friday from 09:00am to 5:00pm. Your message will be seen during those hours after which we respond most quickly to messages that need urgent attention, and we aim to respond to all messages within 24 hours, Monday to Friday. If you need urgent help in the meantime, contact your doctor, visit a NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. If it is an emergency, dial 999 or visit A&E.
Find your school nurse
Services
Find out what other friendships support services are available to you in your area.
