Making new friends can be hard at any age, but it can be especially hard as you get older. Seniors don’t always have the same opportunities to meet new people like most of us do, so it can be hard for them to make friends later on in life. Luckily, there are plenty of things that seniors can do to make friends, and most of them are a lot easier than you would think.
- Do some exercise
If you are a senior who likes to keep active and do lots of exercise, you should try making friends through sport and fitness. Keeping fit is very good for your body and your mind, but being able to work out with your peers can be a really great thing for seniors to do. If you don’t have a lot of friends your age that like to exercise, you should consider signing up for a class that is specifically geared towards seniors. Things like yoga and aerobics are usually done in a class and most community groups or gyms will have one or two classes a week that are aimed at seniors, which is perfect for those who want to get fit and meet new people. But if you are not interested in fast-paced fitness, you should try to form a walking group instead, to get your fitness up and talk to like-minded individuals each week.
- Start a club
If you have a few specific interests and you don’t have friends or family members to share your love of your favourite topics with, you should consider joining or starting a club. Most people like to start things like a book club to discuss their favourite books or film club to watch and discuss films. However, it is really up to you and the other members to decide what your club is about and what sort of things you focus on. A website like Chattoday.com enables you to search for people with shared interests. These clubs are great for seniors because it allows them to meet up with people who they share an interest with, which can be just the ice-breaker that you need to make a new friend. These sorts of clubs can also give seniors a sense of purpose, because maintaining a club can be a lot of work and can take up time in your schedule.
- Make friends with your neighbours
If you are looking to make friends as a senior, but you don’t really know where to start, you should try making friends with your neighbours. Getting to know your neighbours is a great way to get yourself out there, because chances are that you already know them and you probably see a lot of them already, so it should be easy. Even if you just start out with a few conversations here and there and then progress the friendship as time goes on, it is a good idea to make friends with your neighbours, because they will always be nearby. And this is especially important for seniors because you may need help from time to time and your neighbours will be close by to lend a hand. They can also help you to keep up to date with community issues so that you know what is going on in your community each day.
- Go to church
Getting involved in your local community is very important and some people like to do this through their local church. If you are someone that enjoys going to church regularly, you should consider meeting some of the people that are involved in your church. Going to church is great way for seniors to meet like-minded individuals who put an importance on their faith, and you will get to see these people each week when you go to church. Church groups can also allow people to feel a real sense of belonging to a group, so it is a great way to feel like you are part of something even when you aren’t immersed in doing work for the church. Even if you are living in aged care like the residents at Banfields Aged Care, you should have access to a chapel or church with other people who live nearby. So you can make friends with people who live in your community who also share in interest in their faith like you do.
- Do some volunteer work
As you get a bit older, you will find that you have a lot more time on your hands to do the things that you always wanted to do. Sometimes, this means giving back to the community if you are able to. Getting involved in volunteer work can be very rewarding for seniors, because it gives them a sense of purpose while helping out others in their community. And because not everyone has the time to do volunteer work during the week, this type of work attracts lots of seniors, so you will probably meet a lot of people that are in your age group if you choose to volunteer. But apart from making new friends as a result of your volunteering, it can also be very physically and mentally rewarding to be a volunteer because you can learn a lot of new skills and learn about other people that you may not have encountered before.
There are a lot of ways to make new friends as a senior if you are looking to expand your circle. Although it can be hard to try new things and to put yourself out there, it can be very rewarding if you just push yourself. The key is to figure out what you like to do and then find an activity that corresponds with your interests. You also need to be as kind and as open as you can be when making new friends and meeting people, so if you try your best you will be sure to make friends soon enough.
